Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39755621›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental health : a global access science source2025

Integrating human biomonitoring exposure data into a primary care morbidity database: a feasibility study.

Pieter Jansen, Elly Den Hond, Katleen De Brouwere, Endale Alemayehu Ali, Hamid Yimam Hassen, Ilona Gabaret, Gijs Van Pottelbergh

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental health : a global access science source, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Pieter JansenAcademic Center for General Practice, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7 bus 7001 block h, Leuven, 3000, Belgium. pieter.jansen@kuleuven.be.
Elly Den HondProvincial Institute for Hygiene (PIH), Kronenburgstraat 45, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium.
Katleen De BrouwereEnvironmental Intelligence Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, Mol, 2400, Belgium.
Endale Alemayehu AliAcademic Center for General Practice, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7 bus 7001 block h, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
Hamid Yimam HassenEnvironmental Intelligence Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, Mol, 2400, Belgium.
Ilona GabaretProvincial Institute for Hygiene (PIH), Kronenburgstraat 45, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium.
Gijs Van PottelberghAcademic Center for General Practice, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7 bus 7001 block h, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe detection of a local per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution hotspot in Zwijndrecht (Belgium) necessitated immediate action to address health concerns of the local community. Several human biomonitoring (HBM) studies were initiated, gathering cross-sectional exposure data from more than 10,000 participants. The linkage of these HBM data with primary care health registries might be a useful new tool in environmental health analysis.

aimWe assessed the feasibility of linking exposure data from HBM programs to health outcomes from the Intego registry, which collects data from general practitioners' electronic health records. This feasibility study uses exposure data from one of the completed PFAS HBM studies, which included 796 individuals. We describe the separate datasets, the process of integrating the HBM data into Intego, the analysis plan and the advantages and challenges of using this method.

resultsWe established the integration of HBM data into the Intego primary care morbidity database, adhering to stringent privacy regulations and quality standards to ensure result integrity. Because of the modest sample size used in this feasibility study, no conclusions about the impact of PFAS on health endpoints can be drawn. However, with PFAS data from more than 10,000 residents available soon, more robust studies will be possible with this new method.

interpretationWe introduce a novel approach for assessing the impact of environmental health hazards within primary care settings. The methods outlined here not only pave the way for larger-scale projects but also offer a promising avenue for long-term environmental health monitoring.

Indexed as

Biological MonitoringDatabases, FactualEnvironmental ExposureEnvironmental PollutantsFeasibility StudiesPrimary Health CareAdolescentAdultAgedBelgiumChildEnvironmental MonitoringFemaleFluorocarbonsHumansMaleEnvironmental PollutantsFluorocarbonsBiological monitoringElectronic health recordsEnvironmental exposureEnvironmental healthRoutinely collected health data

Identifiers

PMID39755621
PMCPMC11700452

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.