What’s the correlation between the occasional or regular use of cannabis by adolescents and its progression to nicotine dependence, harmful alcohol use and use of other illicit drugs in young adulthood? What impact could the wider availability of cannabis have on this advance? Complex questions that Michelle Taylor (Senior Research Associate in Epidemiology, School of Social and Community Medicine, Bristol. UK) answers in this podcast. The interview, inspired by a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, is conducted by the editor of the journal, Jim Dunn. Dr Taylor also talks about the differences in gender and possible policy implications of her group’s findings. Read the details of the study “Patterns of cannabis-use during adolescence and their association with harmful substance use behaviour: Findings from a UK birth cohort” in the JECH website: http://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2017/05/17/jech-2016-208503.

JECH podcast

How is the use of cannabis in adolescents likely to progress to harder drugs?

Prenatal sex selection and female infant mortality are more common in India after first and second born daughters. Corry Gellatly, a research scientist at the Newcastle University, explains the details of his study, in a podcast conducted by the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, James Dunn. The article is accessible here: http://jech.bmj.com/content/71/3/269.

Sex-selective abortion and female infant mortality more common after one or two daughters in India

Job insecurity has been identified as a risk factor for adverse health outcomes. Perceptions of job insecurity steeply increased during Europe's recent economic downturn, which commenced in 2008. A study just published in JECH assessed whether job insecurity was associated with incident asthma in Germany during this period. Jim Dunn talks discusses the findings with lead author Adrian Loerbroks, Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Düsseldorf. Read the full paper: http://goo.gl/uAtv1M

Job insecurity is associated with adult asthma in Germany during the recent economic crisis

The link between emotional stress and an enhanced risk of cardiovascular death is well established. In particular, sports events such as soccer matches are capable of provoking strong emotions, which might cause a failure of the cardiovascular system, and thus a peak of death numbers in the population. Now a study published in JECH has examined the number of deaths in Germany on match days of the national soccer team during a long-term period including several tournaments. Editor Jim Dunn talks to lead author Daniel Medenwald, Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg. Read the full paper (for free): http://jech.bmj.com/content/68/9/869.full

Mortality on match days of the German national soccer team

Childhood obesity is now a global epidemic and the incidence continues to increase. Dietary interventions and nutritional education are possible options, however, restrictive diets can result in negative outcomes, and therefore it may be more apt to encourage children to consume more fruit and vegetables.Along with colleagues from the University of Manchester, Michael Bourke has conducted a review on this question, published in JECH, and he talks to editor Jim Dunn about what they found.Read the paper here: http://goo.gl/TWtA4O

Do interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among overweight children work?

Jim Dunn talks to Yvonne Kelly, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, about her paper which shows irregular bed times curb young kids’ brain power.Read the paper here: http://bit.ly/1dtgB7j

Time for bed: associations with cognitive performance in 7-year-old children

There has been long-standing interest in the idea of polypill (a pill containing a statin and an anti-hypertensive agent) being used by healthy people, as a tool to prevent heart disease (and possibly other diseases). In a recent paper in JECH, Michael Holmes and Neeraj Bhala suggest that polypill may be used similarly as vaccines have been used for communicable diseases. This podcast presents a discussion on the polypill concept and whether the current evidence is good enough to advocate its large scale use.See also:The physiological paradox: reframing the polypill as a vaccine for cardiovascular disease http://bit.ly/1kHBD6fPopulations and polypills: if yes, then how? http://bit.ly/1g4KVTSPolypill is not a ‘vaccine-like’ solution for primary cardiovascular disease prevention in all parts of the world http://bit.ly/1g4KM2K

Polypill roundtable

In this, the first podcast from JECH, editor-in-chief James Dunn talks to Deborah Shipton, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, about her paper examining alcohol-related mortality in Glasgow, Scotland.Read Dr Shipton's paper in full, for free, here: bit.ly/1gBctoz

Alcohol-related mortality in deprived UK cities

The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health is a truly international journal that encompasses all aspects of epidemiology and public health. It publishes original research, opinions and materials concerned with the study and improvement of communities worldwide. * The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.