陽明交通大學公衛所 Faculty Seminar 通知：113/5/6 Alexander Waits (衛雅樂老師)

時間(Time)：113年5月6日(一) 12:10PM – 13:10PM

地點(Location)：醫學二館221教室

講者(Speaker)：Alexander Waits(衛雅樂老師)

講題(Title)：Income inequalities in prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in Taiwan

The socioeconomic gradient of health and reduction of inequalities became a global agenda as a part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Socioeconomic inequalities may result in higher risks of environmental exposure in more vulnerable populations. The ubiquitous exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC), especially during pregnancy, has been linked to adverse developmental outcomes in children. We hypothesize that socioeconomic inequalities affect prenatal exposure to EDC with adverse consequences for child growth and health.
We propose to study in-depth the role of socioeconomic inequalities in prenatal EDC exposure and child growth, and diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). We will use individual-level (education, income, occupation, ethnicity, housing, etc.) and area-level variables (family income and expenditure per household, unemployment rate, population density, ethnic diversity, housing arrangement, etc.) in Taiwan. We will perform multilevel analysis using individual-level variables obtained from Taiwan Mother Infant Cohort Study (TMICS) questionnaire and administration area-level variables that will be obtained from the National Statistics provided by Taiwan Statistical Bureau. Further, we will link the TMICS data to the National Health Insurance Research Database to establish a comprehensive risk model for ADHD/ASD. The mediation role of prenatal EDC exposure and child growth will be incorporated in the comprehensive risk model for ADHD/ASD.
The findings of this project will help to identify vulnerable populations and communities in Taiwan that may help policy makers distribute budgets more efficiently on health literacy education and other health promotion measures. The future findings are also likely to provide better scientific understanding of the interconnections between socioeconomic factors and EDC exposure as risk factors for child developmental outcomes.