Assessing the chronic respiratory health risk associated with inhalation exposure to powdered toner for printing in actual working conditions: a cohort study on occupationally exposed workers over 10 years

BackgroundLittle epidemiological evidence exists regarding the chronic respiratory effects of inhaled powdered toner exposure in humans, although several case reports have suggested the existence of lung disorders that might be related to exposure to toner dust.ObjectiveWe aimed to estimate the chronic health risk to humans associated with routine toner dust exposure in copier industry workers under current actual work conditions.DesignA prospective observational cohort study of occupational population.MethodsChanges in chest radiogram, spirometry measurements and serum and urine biomarkers of biomedical responses to extrinsic stress, as well as subjective symptoms were longitudinally observed for up to 10 years in Japanese copier industry workers responsible for the manufacturing, maintenance or recycling of powdered toner or toner-using machines. A total of 694 subjects who did not change their work category during the follow-up and were free from chronic respiratory diseases at the baseline survey provided reliable results on at least three survey occasions during 3 years or more of follow-up.ResultsTypical fibrosis findings associated with pneumoconiosis was not observed on chest radiograms. No significant differences associated with toner exposure were noted in the frequency of new incidence of either non-specific findings on chest radiogram or serum fibrosis biomarkers (sialylated carbohydrate antigen KL-6 and surfactant protein D). However, the exposed subjects tended to show increases in the frequency of respiratory symptoms and reduced spirometry results during the follow-up compared with the control group, although significant differences were only seen in chronic cough.ConclusionsUnder the current reasonably controlled work environmental conditions, lung fibrotic changes caused by inhaled dust exposure, including powdered toner, appear to be relatively uncommon; however, non-specific temporal irritation causing subjective symptoms and inflammatory responses might exist.

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Association between willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and sources of health information among Japanese workers: a cohort study

10.1101/2021.07.15.21260609 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ko Hiraoka ◽

Tomohisa Nagata ◽

TAKAHIRO MORI ◽

Hajime Ando ◽

Ayako Hino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Health Information ◽

Herd Immunity ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

Japanese Workers ◽

Company Policy ◽

Sources Of Health Information ◽

To Receive

Background: It is important to achieve herd immunity by vaccinating as many people as possible to end the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the relationship between willingness to receive vaccination and sources of health information among those who did not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Methods: This prospective cohort study collected data using a self-administered questionnaire survey. The baseline survey was conducted during December 22-25, 2020, and the follow-up survey during February 18-19, 2021. Participants were aged 20-65 years and worked at the time of the baseline survey (N=33,087). After excluding 6,051 invalid responses, we included responses from 27,036 participants at baseline. In total, 19,941 people responded to the follow-up survey (74% follow-up rate). We excluded 7,415 participants who answered "yes" to the question "If a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, would you like to get it?" in the baseline survey. We finally analyzed 12,526 participants. Results: The odds ratio for change in willingness to be vaccinated from "no" to "yes" differed by source of health information. Compared with workers that used TV as a source of information, significantly fewer people who reported getting information from the Internet and friends/colleagues were willing to get the vaccine. Conclusions: It is important to approach workers who do not watch TV when implementing workplace vaccination programs. It is likely that willingness to be vaccinated can be increased through an active company policy whereby the top management recommend vaccination, coupled with an individual approach by occupational health professionals.

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Asthma and Immunoglobulin E Antibodies After Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis: A Prospective Cohort Study With Matched Controls

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.95.4.500 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 95 (4) ◽

pp. 500-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

N. Sigurs ◽

R. Bjarnason ◽

F. Sigurbergsson ◽

B. Kjellman ◽

B. Björkstén

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Egg White ◽

Control Group ◽

Igg Antibodies ◽

Ige Antibodies ◽

Syncytial Virus

Objective. To study the occurrence of bronchial obstructive symptoms and immunoglobulin (Ig) E antibodies after respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in infancy. Previous studies of this subject have mostly been retrospective or without controls, or the controls have not been followed prospectively. Design. This was a prospective cohort study with matched controls. Participants. Forty-seven infants had experienced RSV bronchiolitis severe enough to cause hospitalization at a mean age of 3½ months. For each child with RSV infection, two controls were acquired from the local Child Health Center and matched for date of birth, sex, and residence. Only one control was obtained for one RSV child, and the control group thus contained 93 children. Methods. All the children underwent two follow-up examinations, the first one at a mean age of 1 year and the second at a mean age of 3 years. At the first follow-up, a skin-prick test against egg white was performed, and serum IgG antibodies against RSV were measured. At the second follow-up, serum IgE antibodies were measured using screening tests for common food and inhalant antibodies, and skin-prick tests against egg white, cat, birch, and mite allergen were performed. Hereditary and environmental factors (passive smoking, indoor furred animals) and duration of breast-feeding were recorded. Results. At the first follow-up, 89% in the RSV group and 27% in the control group had IgG antibodies against RSV (P < .001). At the second follow-up, asthma, defined as three episodes of bronchial obstruction verified by a physician, was found in 11 of 47 children (23%) in the RSV group and in 1 of 93 children (1%) in the control group (P < .001). A positive test for IgE antibodies was noted in 14 of 44 (32%) RSV children and in 8 of 92 (9%) children in the control group (P = .002). An analysis of risk factors for the development of asthma and IgE antibodies on the whole group of 140 children showed that RSV bronchiolitis was the most important risk factor, and a family history of atopy or asthma further increased the risk. Conclusions. Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis during the first year of life apparently is an important risk factor for the development of asthma and sensitization to common allergens during the subsequent 2 years, particularly in children with heredity for atopy/asthma.

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A Cohort Study on Respiratory Symptoms and Diseases Caused by Toner-Handling Work: Longitudinal Analyses from 2003 to 2013

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos10110647 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 647

Author(s):

Niina Terunuma ◽

Kazunori Ikegami ◽

Hiroko Kitamura ◽

Hajime Ando ◽

Shizuka Kurosaki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Respiratory Disease ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Weighted Average ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Control Group ◽

Respiratory Protection ◽

Exposure Group ◽

High Concentration ◽

Time Weighted Average

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of toner-handling work on respiratory symptoms and diseases. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1468 workers between 2003 and 2013. The cohort included 887 toner-handling workers and 581 non-toner-handling workers, employed in one toner and copier manufacturing enterprise. Toner-handling workers were subdivided into two groups based on the 8-h time-weighted average toner exposure concentration for each work category in the baseline survey. We compared the incidence of respiratory disease and longitudinal changes in the prevalence of subjective respiratory symptoms among three groups, as follows: High-concentration toner exposure group, the low-concentration toner exposure group, and a control group. The incidence of respiratory disease and changes in the prevalence of subjective respiratory symptoms were similar between the non-toner-handling group and the toner-handling group. In contrast, the odds ratio for yearly changes in the prevalence of wheezing without asthmatic response was significantly lower in the high-concentration toner exposure group than in the control group. At the study site, dust scattering was well controlled and workers used respiratory protection appropriately. These findings suggest that toner-handling work had little adverse effect on respiratory function in a work environment with sufficiently controlled ventilation.

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A Pilot Evaluation of an Intervention to Improve Social Reactions to Sexual and Partner Violence Disclosures

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520934437 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088626052093443

Author(s):

Katie M. Edwards ◽

Emily A. Waterman ◽

Sarah E. Ullman ◽

Lindsey M. Rodriguez ◽

Christina M. Dardis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New England ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Informal Support ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Social Reactions ◽

Informal Supports ◽

Negative Social Reactions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an intervention ( Supporting Survivors and Self [SSS]) created to increase positive social reactions and decrease negative social reactions to sexual assault and partner violence disclosures among informal support disclosure recipients. Participants were 1,268 college students from a medium-sized New England university who completed an online baseline survey and were assigned to either the treatment or control condition. The SSS intervention trained potential informal supports on what to say and not to say to disclosure recipients. Six months after the SSS intervention, participants in both conditions completed the follow-up survey online. Although intentions to provide positive social reactions significantly increased among participants in the treatment group compared with the control group and there were marginally significant effects in the anticipated directions for alcohol-specific intended social reactions, no overall difference was observed across conditions in actual social reactions provided. Moderation analyses suggested that, in general, the SSS intervention was more effective on various outcomes for students who were younger, male, non-White, sexual minorities, and/or non-victims. Moderation analyses also suggested that the intervention varied in efficacy depending on the circumstances of the disclosure. Despite the mixed outcomes of the SSS intervention, these data suggest that the SSS intervention was effective in improving social reactions for some students and under some circumstances. Future research is needed to further refine the SSS intervention to bolster its effectiveness in reducing negative social reactions and increasing positive social reactions for all students.

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Survival analysis of maintenance therapy with capecitabine (Cape) in patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) after adjuvant therapy: A retrospective cohort study.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.30.15_suppl.e14658 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e14658-e14658

Author(s):

Xuezhong Yang ◽

Benjamin Weinberg ◽

Jimmy J. Hwang ◽

Christina Sing-Ying Wu ◽

Madeeha Akram ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Adjuvant Chemotherapy ◽

Adjuvant Therapy ◽

Maintenance Therapy ◽

Survival Data ◽

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group

e14658 Background: The 5-year survival of PAC with surgery alone is below 10%, and with adjuvant chemotherapy increases to about 20%. The original GITSG adjuvant study demonstrating a survival benefit compared to surgery could be attributed to the use of 2-years of weekly IV bolus 5FU, and not only chemoradiation. In theory, the prolonged exposure to therapy could maintain pressure on dormant cancer cells that may remain in G0 arrest, by attacking them as they infrequently enter G1/S phase. To evaluate this hypothesis, we retrospectively evaluated our pts who were treated with or without maintenance Cape. Methods: Pts in the Georgetown/Lombardi Cancer Center EMR since Oct 2007 were sought for PAC that was resected with curative intent, received standard adjuvant chemotherapy with or without chemoradiation. The study group received maintenance cape for at least 2 months, and the control group was monitored until disease recurrence. Only pts with complete follow-up survival data were analyzed. Results: 20 pts met the criteria as study group, and 58 pts as the control group. In the study group, cape was usually given 1000mg orally twice a day, Monday through Friday following adjuvant therapy, for an indefinite period, up to 2 years. Pts received cape for median duration of 12.5 months (2 to 24 months), and the median follow-up duration was 33 months (16 to 78 months). The median overall survival (OS) for the study group was 48 months. The 2 year OS was 94%, and 5 year OS was 40%. The median recurrence free survival (RFS) was 39 months. The 2 year RFS was 67%, and the 5 year RFS was 25%. Common toxicities were mild hand-and-foot syndrome and fatigue. 4 pts discontinued cape due to toxicities: febrile neutropenia, severe fatigue, weight loss and diarrhea. The control group was of comparable staging, and the median OS was 22 months, 5 year OS rate was 16%, median RFS was 13 months, 2 year RFS was 19%. Conclusions: In this single institute retrospective controlled cohort study, Cape maintenance therapy following adjuvant therapy in resected PAC is associated with a significantly (p<0.05) higher OS and PFS compared to the control group. This approach should be studied in a RCT.

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Multi-Level Fibrotomy for Pediatric Patients with Cerebral Palsy: A Cohort Study

Osteology ◽

10.3390/osteology1030015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 141-148

Author(s):

Pier Francesco Costici ◽

Sergio De Salvatore ◽

Rosa Russo ◽

Leonardo Oggiano ◽

Aaron Burrofato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Healing Process ◽

Surgical Techniques ◽

Control Group ◽

Motion Recovery ◽

Ambulant Patient ◽

Retrospective Nature

Muscle retraction in Cerebral Palsy (CP) often requires surgical treatment. Multilevel procedures (using open or percutaneous techniques) are commonly performed in the ambulant patient with CP. The necessity to find new surgical techniques, reduce postoperative discomfort, and accelerate the healing process and rehabilitation is mandatory for these patients. A retrospective cohort study with 189 pediatric patients with CP was performed. The multilevel gradual fibrotomy of Ulzibat was modified using an ophthalmic knife. No significant complications were reported using our technique. Opioid drugs were not necessary, and casting time was reduced at the first 24 h. A significant Range of Motion recovery was assessed post-operatory and maintained at the last follow-up. Mean days of hospitalization were 2.2. The mean follow-up was 39 months (6–64 months). The modified multilevel fibrotomy reduces postoperative pain with easier patient management, resulting in a faster discharge from the hospital. However, the retrospective nature and the lack of a control group of the present study did not allow the authors to report significant results. Further studies with longer follow-up are in progress to obtain more certain data that confirm our preliminary results.

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Use of high dose cyproterone acetate and risk of intracranial meningioma in women: cohort study

BMJ ◽

10.1136/bmj.n37 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. n37

Author(s):

Alain Weill ◽

Pierre Nguyen ◽

Moujahed Labidi ◽

Benjamin Cadier ◽

Thibault Passeri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Skull Base ◽

Cumulative Dose ◽

Cyproterone Acetate ◽

Exposed Group ◽

Additional Analysis ◽

Control Group ◽

High Dose

Abstract Objective To assess the risk of meningioma associated with use of high dose cyproterone acetate, a progestogen indicated for clinical hyperandrogenism. Design Observational cohort study. Setting Data from SNDS, the French administrative healthcare database, between 2007 and 2015. Participants 253 777 girls and women aged 7-70 years living in France who started cyproterone acetate between 2007 and 2014. Participants had at least one reimbursement for high dose cyproterone acetate and no history of meningioma or benign brain tumour, or long term disease status. Participants were considered to be exposed when they had received a cumulative dose of at least 3 g during the first six months (139 222 participants) and very slightly exposed (control group) when they had received a cumulative dose of less than 3 g (114 555 participants). 10 876 transgender participants (male to female) were included in an additional analysis. Main outcome measure Surgery (resection or decompression) or radiotherapy for one or more intracranial meningiomas. Results Overall, 69 meningiomas in the exposed group (during 289 544 person years of follow-up) and 20 meningiomas in the control group (during 439 949 person years of follow-up) were treated by surgery or radiotherapy. The incidence of meningioma in the two groups was 23.8 and 4.5 per 100 000 person years, respectively (crude relative risk 5.2, 95% confidence interval 3.2 to 8.6; adjusted hazard ratio 6.6, 95% confidence interval 4.0 to 11.1). The adjusted hazard ratio for a cumulative dose of cyproterone acetate of more than 60 g was 21.7 (10.8 to 43.5). After discontinuation of cyproterone acetate for one year, the risk of meningioma in the exposed group was 1.8-fold higher (1.0 to 3.2) than in the control group. In a complementary analysis, 463 women with meningioma were observed among 123 997 already using cyproterone acetate in 2006 (risk of 383 per 100 000 person years in the group with the highest exposure in terms of cumulative dose). Meningiomas located in the anterior skull base and middle skull base, particularly the medial third of the middle skull base, involving the spheno-orbital region, appeared to be specific to cyproterone acetate. An additional analysis of transgender participants showed a high risk of meningioma (three per 14 460 person years; 20.7 per 100 000 person years). Conclusions A strong dose-effect relation was observed between use of cyproterone acetate and risk of intracranial meningiomas. A noticeable reduction in risk was observed after discontinuation of treatment.

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Ban on menthol-flavoured tobacco products predicts cigarette cessation at 1 year: a population cohort study

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054841 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2018-054841 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michael O Chaiton ◽

Ioana Nicolau ◽

Robert Schwartz ◽

Joanna E Cohen ◽

Eric Soule ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Relative Rate ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Menthol Cigarette ◽

Quit Attempt ◽

Population Cohort ◽

Menthol Cigarettes ◽

Population Cohort Study

ObjectivesThe province of Ontario, Canada, banned the use of menthol-flavoured tobacco products as of 1 January 2017. The long-term impact of a menthol ban on smoking behaviour has not been previously evaluated.MethodsPopulation cohort study with baseline survey conducted September–December 2016 and follow-up January–August 2018 among residents of Ontario, Canada, 16 years old and over who reported current smoking (past 30 days) at baseline survey and completed follow-up (n=913) including 187 reporting smoking menthol cigarettes daily, 420 reported smoking menthol cigarettes occasionally, and 306 were non-menthol cigarette smokers. Relative rates of making a quit attempt and being a non-smoker at follow-up were estimated with Poisson regression controlling for smoking and demographic characteristics at baseline.ResultsAt follow-up, 63% of daily menthol smokers reported making a quit attempt since the ban compared with 62% of occasional menthol smokers and 43% of non-menthol smokers (adjusted relative rate (ARR) for daily menthol smokers compared with non-menthol smokers: 1.25; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.50). At follow-up, 24% of daily menthol smokers reported making a quit since the ban compared with 20% of occasional menthol smokers and 14% of non-menthol smokers (ARR for daily menthol smokers compared with non-menthol smokers: 1.62; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.42).ConclusionsThe study found higher rates of quitting among daily and occasional menthol smokers in Ontario 1 year after the implementation of a menthol ban compared with non-menthol smokers. Our findings suggest that restrictions on menthol may lead to substantial improvements in public health.

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School-based educational intervention to improve children’s oral health-related behaviors in rural Bangladesh

South East Asia Journal of Public Health ◽

10.3329/seajph.v7i2.38853 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 27-33

Author(s):

Yusuke Furukawa ◽

Fumihiko Yokota ◽

Rafiqul Islam Maruf ◽

Mariko Nishikitani ◽

Kimiyo Kikuchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Educational Intervention ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Control School ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Control Group ◽

Intervention School ◽

Rural Bangladesh ◽

School Based

Children in rural Bangladesh have limited access to oral health services. As a pilot project, a one-day one-time oral health educational intervention was conducted at a primary school in Tangail district in Bangladesh. This study assessed the effect of this educational intervention on the children’s oral behaviors using controlled pre- and post-intervention design. Fifty-two students at the intervention school and 37 students at a control school agreed to participate in this study. A baseline survey was conducted for children at both schools using a standardized semi-structured questionnaire. Children at the intervention school received face-to-face dental exercises and a group seminar. Six months after the intervention, a follow-up survey was conducted at both schools to compare changes in children’s oral behaviors at the two schools. The increase in the percentage of intervention-school participants who reported brushing their teeth two or more times per day between the baseline and follow-up surveys was 7.6 times greater than that in the control group (95% CI= 1.7–35.1; p<0.009). The increase in the percentage of intervention-school participants who reported brushing their teeth before bed between the two surveys was 7.3 times greater than that in the control group (95% CI=1.6–34.0; p<0.001). The findings suggest the importance of skill-based intervention, in collaboration with dentists, school teachers, parents, and community health educators. Future studies on the effectiveness of school-based educational interventions should consider longer-term sustainable behavioral changes in children’s oral health.South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.7(2) 2017: 27-33

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Impact of a nutrition consultation on the rate of high output stoma-related readmission: an ambispective cohort study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-96136-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Manuela Moreno Santamaría ◽

José Javier Arenas Villafranca ◽

Jimena Abilés ◽

Francisco Rivas Ruiz ◽

Pilar Utrilla Navarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Intestinal Resection ◽

Control Group ◽

Stoma Creation ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact ◽

High Output

AbstractThe aims of this study were to assess the impact of a follow-up nutrition consultation for ostomy patients on the rate of high output stoma (HOS)-related readmissions, as well as on the detection of poor nutritional status and their management, and to determine the associated economic impact. A single-centre ambispective cohort study was conducted in which all adult patients undergoing intestinal resection and stoma creation were recruited. Two nutrition consultations were established for early follow-up after hospital discharge and patients were prospectively included. Additionally, a retrospective search was carried out to include a control group. In both groups, a 12-month follow-up was conducted to record readmissions associated with high output stoma. A multivariate logistic regression was performed. Statistical significance level was established at p < 0.05. 170 patients were recruited, 85 patients in each cohort. Demographic data and clinical characteristics were recorded. A significant difference was observed in HOS-related readmissions, with readmission rates of 28.6% vs 10.3% in the retrospective and prospective cohort, respectively. At the first follow-up consultation, 50.5% of patients presented some degree of protein-calorie malnutrition. A statistically significant improvement in nutritional status was observed in the second evaluation. The intervention carried out resulted in a total saving of €24,175. Early follow-up of patients after discharge resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of HOS-related readmissions and allowed to identify a high percentage of patients with malnutrition. The cost analysis showed the process to be a cost-effective improvement.

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