A Preconception Cohort Study on Oil and Gas Development, Fertility, and Pregnancy

项目总结

PROJECT SUMMARY Over 17.6 million North Americans live within 1.6km of an oil and gas development (OGD) facility. Recent studies indicate that OGD results in the release of reproductive toxicants (e.g., particulate matter, volatile organic compounds [VOCs], polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]) at levels that may harm human health, including fertility, early pregnancy loss, pregnancy-related disorders, and birth outcomes. Epidemiologic studies on OGD to date have largely focused on live birth outcomes, have not included personal exposure measurements, and have little data on key confounders. Building upon data analysis from an NIEHS-funded predoctoral fellowship (F31-ES029801) and training in prospective cohort designs in her postdoctoral research, Dr. Mary Willis’ Early Independence Award application launches the first prospective cohort study on OGD-related pollution and reproductive health. This proposal leverages ongoing recruitment from the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO, R01-HD086742), an internet-based preconception cohort study of North American couples trying to conceive (n>16,000 female participants), to examine the influence of OGD-related exposures on reproductive health. This cohort has remarkable geographic diversity, spanning all 50 U.S. states and all 10 Canadian provinces. To date, >4,500 of the women reside in communities with OGD activity and this application will use geo-targeted methods to enroll an additional 1,000 women. Aim 1 develops OGD-related exposure metrics in the PRESTO cohort, an extension of Dr. Willis’ previous work. Exposure assessment methods include 1a) complex spatial data integration of industry-related information that spans back to participants’ own births, 1b) a supplemental questionnaire of perceived risks about OGD, and 1c) personal exposures to air, water, and noise in a subset of 150 women at three time points in the preconception to early pregnancy periods. All exposure assessment methods are validated, state-of-the-art approaches. Aim 2 applies these exposure metrics in a longitudinal framework to examine the influence of OGD on important reproductive health outcomes in the full PRESTO cohort. Outcomes include 2a) fertility (fecundability, the per-cycle probability of pregnancy), 2b) pregnancy loss (spontaneous abortion), 2c) pregnancy-related hypertensive and metabolic disorders (gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes), and 2d) birth outcomes (preterm birth, low birth weight.) The aims set the stage for a “Research to Action” proposal that explores the efficacy of personal or community interventions for specific OGD exposures, as well as the groundwork for an R01 proposal with follow-up for maternal postpartum health and child development. By leveraging an established internet-based prospective cohort study, this proposal addresses the logistical challenges of efficiently assessing the influence of health effects of emerging environmental hazards. The results of this project have high potential to improve public health by demonstrating a novel policy-relevant framework to investigate emerging environmental hazards. This award will allow Dr. Willis to launch her career at the intersection of environmental epidemiology, data science, and reproductive health.