scholarly journals Does Moxa Smoke Have Significant Effect on the Acupuncturist’s Respiratory System? A Population-Based Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Chang Yu ◽  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Weikang Zhu ◽  
Yueyue Zhang ◽  
Jiao Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regression Model ◽  
Exposure Time ◽  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Airway Function

Objectives. To evaluate the safety of moxa smoke, especially to provide quantitative information and details for the occupational prevention of acupuncturists. Methods. We combined the questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey and lung function testing-based historical retrospective cohort research to investigate the safety of moxa smoke exposure (MSE) among acupuncturists. A mathematical regression model was established to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between moxa smoke exposure and the respiratory health of the acupuncturist. The smoke exposure time of the acupuncturist and the prevalence of abnormal respiratory symptoms or diseases were also evaluated. Results. (1) The cross-sectional research showed that the incidence of expectoration (18.7%) and rhinitis (22.7%) was the most common respiratory symptom and disease after MSE. No statistical difference was found between smoke exposure time of the acupuncturist and the prevalence of abnormal respiratory symptoms or diseases, except the prevalence of rhinitis and shortness of breath (P<0.01). Regression model for the incidence of first three symptoms (expectoration, shortness of breath, and wheezing) from the cross-sectional survey indicated that the weight coefficients of factors associated with moxa smoke were lower than those of factors unrelated to moxa smoke, such as gender and personal history of respiratory diseases. (2) Historical retrospective cohort research showed that there was no significant difference in the % predicted PEF. No statistic difference was found between the exposed and nonexposed group in large airway function indexes (% predicted FEV1, % predicted FVC, and % predicted FEV1/FVC) and small airway function indexes (% predicted FEF25, % predicted FEF50, % predicted FEF75, and % predicted MMEF), either. Especially, the % predicted MVV among males (106.23 ± 2.92 vs. 95.56 ± 1.92, P<0.01 and % predicted VC among females (100.70 ± 1.59 vs. 95.91 ± 1.61, P<0.05) between the two groups had statistical significance, but did not cause pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Conclusions. MSE has no significant effect on the respiratory health of acupuncturists.

scholarly journals Primary Cooking Fuel Choice and Respiratory Health Outcomes among Women in Charge of Household Cooking in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adama Sana ◽  
Nicolas Meda ◽  
Gisèle Badoum ◽  
Benoit Kafando ◽  
Catherine Bouland
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Biomass Fuel ◽  
Respiratory Morbidity ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cooking Fuel ◽  
Breathing Difficulty ◽  
Sputum Production ◽  
Waking Up

Background: Approximately 3 billion people, worldwide, rely primarily on biomass for cooking. This study aimed to investigate the association between respiratory symptoms among women in charge of household cooking and the type of fuel used for cooking. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted. A total of 1705 women that were randomly selected, completed the survey. We also performed a bivariate and a multivariate analysis to verify the possible associations between respiratory symptoms in women in charge of household cooking and the type of cooking fuel used. Results: Dry cough, breathing difficulties, and throat irritation frequencies were statistically high in biomass fuel users when compared to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) users. It was also the case for some chronic respiratory symptoms, such as sputum production, shortness of breath, wheezing, wheezing with dyspnea, wheezing without a cold, waking up with shortness of breath, waking up with coughing attacks, and waking up with breathing difficulty. After adjustment for the respondents’ and households’ characteristics; dry cough, breathing difficulties, sneezing, nose tingling, throat irritation, chronic sputum production, wheezing, wheezing with dyspnea, wheezing without a cold, waking up with shortness of breath, waking up with coughing attacks, and waking up with breathing difficulty were symptoms that remained associated to biomass fuel compared to LPG. Women who used charcoal reported the highest proportion of all the chronic respiratory symptoms compared to the firewood users. However, this difference was not statistically significant except for the wheezing, waking up with coughing attacks, and waking up with breath difficulty, after adjustment. Conclusion: Exposure to biomass smoke is responsible for respiratory health problems in women. Charcoal, which is often considered as a clean fuel compared to other biomass fuels and often recommended as an alternative to firewood, also presents health risks, including increased respiratory morbidity in women. Effective and efficient energy policies are needed to accelerate the transition to clean and sustainable energies.

scholarly journals Reduced Lung Function among Workers in Primary Coffee Processing Factories in Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samson Abaya ◽  
Magne Bråtveit ◽  
Wakgari Deressa ◽  
Abera Kumie ◽  
Bente Moen
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Dust Exposure ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Related

Dust exposure is one of the major risk factors for respiratory health in many workplaces, including coffee factories. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung function reduction among workers in Ethiopian primary coffee processing factories, compared to a control group of workers. A total of 115 coffee workers and 110 water bottling workers were involved in this study, from 12 coffee and 3 water bottling factories in Ethiopia, respectively. The chronic respiratory symptoms were assessed using a structured interview, using a standardized questionnaire adopted from the American Thoracic Society (ATS). The lung function tests were performed according to the ATS recommendation for spirometry. The coffee workers had a significantly higher prevalence of coughing, coughing with sputum, breathlessness, work-related shortness of breath, and wheezing compared with the controls. The prevalence ratio of work-related shortness of breath (PR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.6–8.7) and wheezing (PR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.3–8.4) was significantly higher for the coffee workers compared to the controls. The coffee workers in the age groups 28–39 years and ≥40 years, had a significantly lower forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s compared to the controls in the similar age groups. The findings indicated the need for longitudinal studies on the possible effect of coffee dust on respiratory health of coffee production workers.

scholarly journals Farming, pesticide exposure and respiratory health: a cross-sectional study in Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. oemed-2020-107325
Author(s):  
Jate Ratanachina ◽  
Andre Amaral ◽  
Sara De Matteis ◽  
Paul Cullinan ◽  
Peter Burney
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Airflow Obstruction ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Pesticide Use ◽  
Government Employees ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pesticide Exposures

ObjectiveTo assess the association of lung function and respiratory symptoms with farming, particularly pesticide use, in an agricultural province in Thailand.MethodsWe undertook a cross-sectional survey of adults aged 40–65 in Nan province, Thailand, between May and August 2019. We randomly recruited 345 villagers and enriched the sample with 82 government employees. All participants performed post-bronchodilator spirometry and completed a questionnaire covering information on respiratory symptoms, farming activities, pesticide use and known risk factors for respiratory disease. Associations of respiratory outcomes with farming and pesticide exposures were examined by multivariable regression analysis.ResultsThe response rate was 94%. The prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction among villagers was 5.5%. Villagers had, on average, a lower percent predicted post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) than government employees (98.3% vs 100.3%; p=0.04). There was no evidence of association of lung function with farming activities, the use of specific herbicides (glyphosate and paraquat), insecticides (organophosphates and pyrethroids) or fungicides. The exceptions were poultry farming, associated with chronic cough and an increase of FEV1/FVC, and atrazine, for which duration (p-trend <0.01), intensity (p-trend <0.01) and cumulative hours (p-trend=0.01) of use were all associated with higher FEV1/FVC in an exposure–response manner. Cumulative hours (−280 mL/hour), low duration (−270 mL/year) and intensity (−270 mL/hour/year) of atrazine use were associated with lower FVC.ConclusionsChronic airflow obstruction is uncommon among villagers of an agricultural province in Nan, Thailand. Farming and pesticide use are unlikely to be major causes of respiratory problems there.

Prevalence of COVID-19-like Symptoms among People Living with HIV, and Using Antiretroviral Therapy for Prevention and Treatment

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 373-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi ◽  
Maryam Ghadimi ◽  
Mahboubeh Hajiabdolbaghi ◽  
Mehrnaz Rasoolinejad ◽  
Ladan Abbasian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Antiretroviral Treatment ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Living With Hiv

Background: COVID-19 has spread globally with remarkable speed, and currently, there is limited data available exploring any aspect of the intersection between HIV and SARSCoV- 2 co-infection. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of clinical symptoms associated with COVID-19 among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Tehran, Iran. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 200 PLWH were recruited through the positive club via sampling, and completed the symptom-based questionnaire for COVID-19, which was delivered by trained peers. Results: Of 200 participants, respiratory symptoms, including cough, sputum, and shortness of breath, were the most prevalent among participants, but only one person developed symptoms collectively suggested COVID-19 and sought treatments. Conclusions: It appears that existing infection with HIV or receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) might reduce the susceptibility to the infection with SARS-CoV-2 or decrease the severity of the infection acquired. Further research is needed to understand causal mechanisms.

scholarly journals Increase in the Risk of Respiratory Disorders in Adults and Children Related to Crop-Growing in Niger

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Mamane ◽  
Jean-François Tessier ◽  
Ghislaine Bouvier ◽  
Roger Salamon ◽  
Pierre Lebailly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Background and Objective. Environmental factors are an increasing concern for respiratory health in developing countries. The objective of this study was to investigate whether Nigerien people living in cultivated areas have more respiratory symptoms than those living in pastoral areas. Method. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 in two populations during the rainy season when land is cultivated. Environmental factors including pesticide use and respiratory symptoms were collected in adults and children during face-to-face interviews. Multivariate analysis between exposures and symptoms was performed in children and in adults separately. Results. The study included 471 adults and 229 children. Overall, none of the households reported the use of pesticides for agricultural purposes. However, 87.2% reported the use of insecticides at home. Multivariate analysis showed that people living in agricultural areas compared to those in pastoral areas had an increased risk of respiratory symptoms in adults (wheezing, dyspnea, sudden shortness of breath, and cough without fever) and in children (cough without fever). The use of insecticides showed no effect on respiratory symptoms after adjustment. Conclusion. This first epidemiological study on the environment and respiratory health conducted in Niger demonstrates a significant relationship between respiratory manifestations and the agricultural characteristics of the living area. However only the effect of insecticides in the home on respiratory health was observed.

scholarly journals Comparison of two methods to estimate adverse events in the IBEAS Study (Ibero-American study of adverse events): cross-sectional versus retrospective cohort design

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e016546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus Maria Aranaz Andrés ◽  
Ramon Limón Ramírez ◽  
Carlos Aibar Remón ◽  
Maria Teresa Gea-Velázquez de Castro ◽  
Francisco Bolúmar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Retrospective Cohort Study ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hospital Size ◽  
Cohort Design ◽  
Cohort Study Design

BackgroundAdverse events (AEs) epidemiology is the first step to improve practice in the healthcare system. Usually, the preferred method used to estimate the magnitude of the problem is the retrospective cohort study design, with retrospective reviews of the medical records. However this data collection involves a sophisticated sampling plan, and a process of intensive review of sometimes very heavy and complex medical records. Cross-sectional survey is also a valid and feasible methodology to study AEs.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to compare AEs detection using two different methodologies: cross-sectional versus retrospective cohort design.SettingSecondary and tertiary hospitals in five countries: Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru.ParticipantsThe IBEAS Study is a cross-sectional survey with a sample size of 11 379 patients. The retrospective cohort study was obtained from a 10% random sample proportional to hospital size from the entire IBEAS Study population.MethodsThis study compares the 1-day prevalence of the AEs obtained in the IBEAS Study with the incidence obtained through the retrospective cohort study.ResultsThe prevalence of patients with AEs was 10.47% (95% CI 9.90 to 11.03) (1191/11 379), while the cumulative incidence of the retrospective cohort study was 19.76% (95% CI 17.35% to 22.17%) (215/1088). In both studies the highest risk of suffering AEs was seen in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. Comorbid patients and patients with medical devices showed higher risk.ConclusionThe retrospective cohort design, although requires more resources, allows to detect more AEs than the cross-sectional design.

scholarly journals PREVALENCE OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND PULMONARY FUNCTION STATUS OF RESTAURANT WORKERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-172
Author(s):  
Mohammed Abdulrazzaq Jabbar Jabbar ◽  
Retneswari Masilamani ◽  
Lim Zhi Yik ◽  
Chen Pei Fei ◽  
Loh Xin Ni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Function ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Pulmonary Function Tests ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Cooking Fumes

The cooking process may emit toxic compounds and airway irritants from both the fuel combustion and cooking fumes which is harmful to the respiratory health among the restaurant workers. A cross-sectional study of 243 restaurant workers from the selected restaurants in Sungai Long, Malaysia was conducted. The standardized British Medical Research Council questionnaire on Respiratory Symptoms (1986) was used during the interview to access the symptoms and the spirometry test was performed to evaluate the pulmonary functions of the participants. The data of socio-demography and occupational characteristics were also collected. The most complaint respiratory symptoms by the restaurant workers were breathlessness, which accounted for 33.7%, followed by wheezing (14%). The mean values of all pulmonary function tests (PFT) of the restaurant workers were within the normal range (>80%), except for the Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) (79.09%). The results of the bivariate statistical analysis, Chi-square, ANOVA and t-test, showed the determining factors of the respiratory health among the workers were workers’ age and gender in addition to the working duration and the ethnicity. The restaurant workers in Sungai Long were at risk of developing respiratory symptoms and lower pulmonary function values due to prolonged exposure to cooking fumes. Emphasis should be given to the safety and health of restaurant workers and health education should be provided to the restaurant workers and owners. Strategies to increase notification of such occurrences among these workers should be looked into by related agencies in the country.

scholarly journals Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Johnson ◽  
Caroline X. Gao ◽  
Martine Dennekamp ◽  
Grant J. Williamson ◽  
David Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Coal Mine Fire ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Respiratory Outcomes

In 2014, wildfires ignited a fire in the Morwell open cut coal mine, Australia, which burned for six weeks. This study examined associations between self-reported respiratory outcomes in adults and mine fire-related PM2.5 smoke exposure. Self-reported data were collected as part of the Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey. Eligible participants were adult residents of Morwell. Mine fire-related PM2.5 concentrations were provided by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship. Personalised mean 24-h and peak 12-h mine fire-related PM2.5 exposures were estimated for each participant. Data were analysed by multivariate logistic regression. There was some evidence of an association between respiratory outcomes and mine fire PM2.5 exposure. Chronic cough was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.13 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.23) per 10 μg/m3 increment in mean PM2.5 and 1.07 (1.02 to 1.12) per 100 μg/m3 increment in peak PM2.5. Current wheeze was associated with peak PM2.5, OR = 1.06 (1.02 to 1.11) and chronic phlegm with mean PM2.5 OR = 1.10 (1.00 to 1.20). Coal mine PM2.5 smoke exposure was associated with increased odds of experiencing cough, phlegm and wheeze. Males, participants 18–64 years, and those residing in homes constructed from non-brick/concrete materials or homes with tin/metal roofs had higher estimated ORs. These findings contribute to the formation of public health policy responses.

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