Biomonitoring of Exposure to Metals in a Population Residing in an Industrial Area in Brazil: A Feasibility Study

Background: Industries are sources of environmental pollutants. However, there are few human biomonitoring (HBM) studies in the vicinity of industrial areas. Thus, we evaluate the feasibility of conducting an HBM study to assess exposure to metals in an industrial area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted near a steel factory. Adults (exposed = 775; controls = 775) were randomly selected and sex-matched. Subjects were interviewed using a questionnaire and a 24 h dietary recall. Blood samples were collected to analyze metal concentrations, blood count, biochemical parameters, and thyroid hormones. The feasibility of the survey was assessed following guidelines. The descriptive analysis was performed for the first 250 participants (pilot study). Results: Adjustments were made to the survey execution, including age-matching, fieldwork team, questionnaire, blood collection, and research awareness. The complete questionnaire was answered by ≥97% of participants; metals were measured in ≥98% and clinical parameters in ≥89%, except thyroid hormones (13–44%). The average age and family income were of 50 years and USD 575/month, respectively. The participants had equal distribution among sexes: 50% had a medium education level, and 59% were nonwhite. Conclusion: This preliminary HBM study demonstrates feasibility for the total population, with results indicating representativeness of the target population.

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Karakteristik Remaja Pengguna Narkoba Suntik dan Perilaku Berisiko HIV/AIDS di Kecamatan Ciledug Kota Tangerang

Kesmas National Public Health Journal ◽

10.21109/kesmas.v3i2.232 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 70

Author(s):

Fauzi Syarif ◽

Zarfiel Tafal

Keyword(s):

Risk Behavior ◽

Economic Status ◽

Industrial Area ◽

Living Environment ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Study Results ◽

Aids Risk ◽

Aids Risk Behavior ◽

Hiv Aids

Prevalensi penderita HIV/AIDS di Kota Tangerang yang merupakan daerah industri dari tahun ke tahun meningkat tajam. Kecenderungan peningkatan kemungkinan disebabkan oleh letak strategis Kota Tangerang yang berbatasan langsung dengan Jakarta serta dengan geografi dan demografi yang hampir sama dengan Jakarta. Bersamaan dengan itu kasus peredaran dan pemakaian narkotika di wilayah Tangerang dari tahun ke tahun meningkat tajam. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara karakteristik remaja pengguna narkoba suntik (penasun) dengan perilaku berisiko tertular HIV/AIDS di Kecamatan Ciledug Kota Tangerang Tahun 2007. Data yang dikumpulkan secara cross sectional dilakukan pada 206 sampel responden remaja berusia 15–24 tahun yang menggunakan narkoba suntik melalui wawancara langsung dengan berpedoman pada kuesioner. Karakterisitk remaja tersebut meliputi karakteristik: pribadi (pengetahuan tentang HIV/AIDS, jenis kelamin, umur, tingkat pendidikan, status ekonomi, posisi urutan dalam keluarga, status orang tua, dengan siapa tinggal), lingkungan sosial (keterpaparan pergaulan dengan pengguna narkoba, pola asuh orang tua, lingkungan tempat tinggal) dan karakteristik budaya (masyarakat fanatisme agama, daerah pendatang/campur, kegiatan di luar rumah). Penelitian menunjukkan gambaran perilaku remaja penasun yang berisiko tertular HIV/AIDS mencapai angka 55,3%. Terdapat 8 (delapan) variabel yang berhubungan erat (p < 0,05) dengan perilaku penasun berisiko yaitu tingkat pengetahuan, umur, tingkat pendidikan, status ekonomi, status orang tua, pola asuh orang tua, lingkungan tempat tinggal dan kegiatan di luar rumah. Variabel yang paling dominan adalah tingkat pengetahuan dimana remaja penasun yang mempunyai tingkat pengetahuan kurang, mempunyai risiko tertular HIV/AIDS 6,9 kali dibandingkan yang mempunyai tingkat pengetahuan baik.Kata kunci : Pengguna narkoba suntik, remaja, HIV/AIDS.AbstractPrevalence of HIV-AIDS in Tangerang City—an industrial area, continues to increase. The increase may be caused by location of Tangerang which is directly bordered to Jakarta and having similar geographical and demographical characteristics to Jakarta. At the same time, there is a significant increase of drugs distribution and abuse. This study aims at investigating the relationship between injection-drug-user (IDU) teenager’s characteristics and HIV-AIDS high risk behavior in Ciledug Sub-district, Tangerang City in 2007. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted among 206 samples of IDU teenagers age 15-24 years old using questionnare administered in face-to-face interview. The study results show that HIV-AIDS risk behavior prevalence reached 55,3% among respondents and there were 8 variables with significant relationship (p < 0,05). Those 8 variables were knowledge, age, education level, economic status, parent status, parental care pattern, living environment, and outside home activity. The most dominant variable was knowledge where teenagers with low level of knowledge has 6,9 times higher risk of having HIV-AIDS risk behavior compared to those with higher level of knowledge.Keywords : IDU, teenagers, HIV-AIDS.

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The Dynamics of Low Income and Persistent Poverty Among U.S. Families

Journal of Income Distribution ◽

10.25071/1874-6322.2744 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 115

Author(s):

John J. Hisnanick

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Family Income ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Program Participation ◽

Income Dynamics ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Variance Model ◽

Persistent Poverty ◽

Insight Into

Are those in poverty likely to remain there or can they move out of this situation without help from other sources? Our understanding of those in or near poverty is primarily based upon the analysis of either annual income or the income distribution from cross-sectional survey data. It has been argued in the literature that this type of data can be misleading when faced with questions pertaining to transitions in and out of poverty. Studies of the persistence of poverty should focus on individuals and their families, in conjunction with labor market situations, in order to provide an insight into why the situation continues. Using the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) 1996 panel, it was possible to investigate low-income dynamics and to model family incomes for the years 1996-1999. This article provides a descriptive analysis that evaluates the lowincome dynamics of families and their exit and re-entry rates into low income. It also investigates family income and poverty experiences based upon a componentsof- variance model that identifies permanent and transitory factors and provides insight into low-income dynamics.

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Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors of Women Related to Pregnancy, and Early Childhood Caries Prevention: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health ◽

10.1177/21501327211013302 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 215013272110133

Author(s):

Neel Shimpi ◽

Ingrid Glurich ◽

Catherine Maybury ◽

Min Qi Wang ◽

Kazumasa Hashimoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Health Education ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Maintenance ◽

Significance Level ◽

Study Results ◽

And Behaviors

Objective Health education interventions during pregnancy can influence maternal oral health (OH), maternal OH-behaviors and children’s OH. Interventions that can be delivered at anytime and anywhere, for example mobile-health (mHealth) provides an opportunity to address challenges of health education and support activation of women in underserved and rural communities to modify their health behavior. This pilot study was undertaken as a part of a mHealth initiative to determine knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to pregnancy and ECC prevention among women attending obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) practices at a large rurally-based clinic. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was voluntarily engaged by women (n = 191) aged 18 to 59 years attending OB/GYN visits, over a 3-week period from 12/2019 to 1/2020. Survey results were analyzed applying descriptive statistics, X2 and Fisher’s Exact tests. The significance level was set at P < .0001 for all analyses. Results Approximately half of respondents were between 18 and 29 years (53%), had a college degree (55%), and 100% reported cell phone use. Whereas 53% and 31%, respectively, indicated that they were “somewhat” or “very” sure of how to prevent ECC in their children, only 9% recognized evidence of early decay and 30% did not know the purpose of fluoride. Overall, only 27% of participants correctly answered the knowledge-based questions. Further, only 57% reported their provider explained things in a way that was easy to understand. Only 24% reported seeing a dentist during their current pregnancy. Conclusions Study results suggested potential gaps in knowledge and behaviors related to ECC prevention and provided baseline data to inform future interventions to improve ECC prevention practices. Notably, majority of participants used their cell phones for making medical/dental appointments and reported using their phones to look up health-related information. This demographic represents a potentially receptive target for mHealth approaches to improve understanding of oral health maintenance during pregnancy and ECC prevention.

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Preferences for Updates on General Research Results: A Survey of Participants in Genomic Research from Two Institutions

Journal of Personalized Medicine ◽

10.3390/jpm11050399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 399

Author(s):

Casey Overby Taylor ◽

Natalie Flaks Manov ◽

Katherine D. Crew ◽

Chunhua Weng ◽

John J. Connolly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Research Result ◽

Hierarchical Cluster ◽

Genomic Research ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Research Participants ◽

Research Activities ◽

Study Results ◽

Set Up

There is a need for multimodal strategies to keep research participants informed about study results. Our aim was to characterize preferences of genomic research participants from two institutions along four dimensions of general research result updates: content, timing, mechanism, and frequency. Methods: We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey that was administered from 25 June 2018 to 5 December 2018. Results: 397 participants completed the survey, most of whom (96%) expressed a desire to receive research updates. Preferences with high endorsement included: update content (brief descriptions of major findings, descriptions of purpose and goals, and educational material); update timing (when the research is completed, when findings are reviewed, when findings are published, and when the study status changes); update mechanism (email with updates, and email newsletter); and update frequency (every three months). Hierarchical cluster analyses based on the four update preferences identified four profiles of participants with similar preference patterns. Very few participants in the largest profile were comfortable with budgeting less money for research activities so that researchers have money to set up services to send research result updates to study participants. Conclusion: Future studies may benefit from exploring preferences for research result updates, as we have in our study. In addition, this work provides evidence of a need for funders to incentivize researchers to communicate results to participants.

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Assessing the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of COVID-19 among Quarantine Hotel Workers in China

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9060772 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 772

Author(s):

Yi-Man Teng ◽

Kun-Shan Wu ◽

Wen-Cheng Wang ◽

Dan Xu

Keyword(s):

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Hotel Workers ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

During the pandemic, quarantine hotel workers face a higher risk of infection while they host quarantine guests from overseas. This study’s aim is to gain an understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of quarantine hotel workers in China. A total of 170 participants took part in a cross-sectional survey to assess the KAP of quarantine hotel workers in China, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chi-square test, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), descriptive analysis, and binary logistic regression were used to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with KAP levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that 62.41% have good knowledge, 94.7% have a positive attitude towards COVID-19, but only 78.2% have good practices. Most quarantine hotel workers (95.3%) are confident that COVID-19 will be successfully controlled and that China is handling the COVID-19 crisis well (98.8%). Most quarantine hotel workers are also taking personal precautions, such as avoiding crowds (80.6%) and wearing facemasks (97.6%). The results evidence that quarantine hotel workers in China have acquired the necessary knowledge, positive attitudes and proactive practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study can provide a reference for quarantine hotel workers and their targeted education and intervention.

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HIV-1 seroprevalence in the general population of Salvador, Bahia State, Northeast Brazil

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2007000100004 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 25-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Inês Dourado ◽

Craig A. Milroy ◽

Marco Antônio Gomes Mello ◽

Geraldo Argolo Ferraro ◽

Humberto Castro-Lima Filho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Minimum Wage ◽

Family Income ◽

Dna Amplification ◽

Income Group ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Subtype B ◽

Wide Range ◽

Hiv 1

To estimate HIV-1 seroprevalence in the general population of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 3,437 residents from 1998 to 2000. Subjects were drawn from 30 sentinel areas representing a wide range of living conditions. Plasma samples were screened for HIV-1 antibodies by ELISA and confirmed by immunofluorescent assay. Subtype determination by HMA was performed after proviral DNA amplification. Phylogenetic analysis using parsimony was performed with the neighbor-joining method. Overall HIV-1 seroprevalence was 0.55% (19/3,446): 0.8% for men and 0.36% for women. Seroprevalence was higher in the 31-45-year age group (1%) and among persons with family income less than twice the minimum wage (0.78%) as compared to 0.33% for the higher income group. Syphilis was detected in 37% of HIV seropositive individuals. Phylogenetic inferences identified 10 samples as subtype B in the env region and 2 samples with Benv/Fgag/Fpol and Fenv/Bgag. Age > 30 years, male gender, and income < 2 times the minimum wage were identified as risk factors for HIV-1 infection. Extrapolating the proportion of seropositive individuals to Salvador, the number of HIV-1 infected individuals was estimated at 13,750.

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Acute lower respiratory illness in under-five children in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: prevalence and risk factors

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2008000600023 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 1429-1438 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Silvio O. M. Prietsch ◽

Gilberto B. Fischer ◽

Juraci A. César ◽

Berenice S. Lempek ◽

Luciano V. Barbosa Jr. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Family Income ◽

Rio Grande ◽

Respiratory Illness ◽

Acute Lower Respiratory Infection ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Maternal Schooling ◽

The City

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of acute lower respiratory illness and to identify associated factors among children less than five years of age in the city of Rio Grande, southern Brazil. Using a cross-sectional survey, a standardized household questionnaire was applied to mothers or guardians. Information was collected on household conditions, socioeconomic status, and parental smoking. Prenatal care attendance, nutritional status, breastfeeding pattern, and use of health services for the children were also investigated. Data analysis was based on prevalence ratios and logistic regression, using a conceptual framework. Among 771 children studied, 23.9% presented acute lower respiratory illness. The main risk factors were previous episodes of acute lower respiratory infection or wheezing, crowding, maternal schooling less than five years, monthly family income less than US$ 200, four or more people per room, asthma in family members, and maternal smoking. Mothers 30 years or older were identified as a protective factor. These results can help define specific measures to reduce morbidity and mortality due to acute lower respiratory illness in this setting.

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Do Socioeconomic Conditions Explain Ethnic Inequalities in Tooth Loss among US Adults?

Ethnicity & Disease ◽

10.18865/ed.28.3.201 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 201

Author(s):

Fatma W. Nazer ◽

Wael Sabbah

Keyword(s):

Ethnic Differences ◽

Tooth Loss ◽

Family Income ◽

The United States ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Behavioral Risk ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Ethnic Inequalities

Objective: To assess whether there are ethnic differences in tooth loss among adult Americans aged <40 years and whether socioeconomic position attenuates these differences if they exist.Methods: Data were from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a health-related telephone cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of US adults. Tooth loss (one tooth or more) was used as the outcome variable. Ethnicity was the main explanatory variable. Family income, education and health insurance were also used in the analysis. Logistic regression models for tooth loss were constructed adjusting for demographic (age, sex, and ethnicity), socioeconomic indicators (income and education), health insurance, dental visits, smoking and diabetes.Results: A total of 76,273 participants were included in the analysis. The prevalence of tooth loss was highest among Blacks (33.7%). Hispanics and other ethnic groups had a higher prevalence of tooth loss than Whites, 29.1% (95%CI: 27.7-30.6), 22.0% (95%CI: 20.3-23.8), and 20.8% (95%CI: 20.2-21.4), respectively. Blacks had odds ratios (OR) 1.98 (95%CI: 1.81-2.16) for tooth loss compared with Whites. After adjusting for socioeconomic positions (SEP), the relationship attenuated but remained significant with OR 1.71 (95%CI: 1.55-1.90).Conclusions: Despite recent changes in the health care system in the United States, ethnic inequalities in tooth loss still exist. Income and education partially explained ethnic differences in tooth loss among Americans aged <40 years.Ethn Dis. 2018;28(3):201-206; doi:10.18865/ ed.28.3.201

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The Use and Potential Interactions of Herbal Medicines among Diabetic Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i53a33655 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 226-234

Author(s):

Saleh Alghamdi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Traditional Medicine ◽

Formal Education ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Herbal Medicines ◽

Black Tea ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Research Committee ◽

Cross Sectional

Objectives: The use of herbal medicines as non-conventional treatment is popular, especially in developing countries where people suffering from chronic diseases as diabetes mellitus are more likely to use herbal medicines along with conventional medicines. However, their simultaneous use may concur serious drug interactions and may therefore result in a serious outcome. The present study was designed to identify the most commonly used herbal medicines and conventional anti-diabetic medications among Saudi population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed and piloted.Data were retrieved and manually entered in Excel 2016. Frequencies and percentages were utilized to perform descriptive analysis. The study was approved by the Scientific and Research Committee of the main hospital taking part in the study. Results: A total of 347 responses were recorded (69.4% response rate). 54% of participants were male, 53% were between the age of 41 and 64 years, and 35.5% had no formal education. Black tea, Peppermint, ginger, green tea, olive oil, and black seed were among the frequently mentioned herbal medicines. Black tea was used by the majority of patients (80%) while peppermint and ginger were used by more than half of patients, i.e., (56.5%) and (52.7%) respectively. Least common herb used by patients was Artemisia species (2.8%). A majority of patients (53.4%) used traditional medicine at least once daily, and 83% used traditional medicine without their physician's prescription. Conclusion: Concomitant use of herbal and conventional anti-diabetic medication was a common practice among patients in Saudi Arabia, therefore, pharmacists-led educational programs should target both prescribers and general public about the possible interactions/risks of herbal medicines.

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Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception of COVID-19 Pandemic in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria- The Initial Experience

Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research ◽

10.9734/jammr/2021/v33i2031101 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 27-37

Author(s):

E. K. Mgbe ◽

C. G. Mgbe ◽

S. N. Ezeofor ◽

J. F. Etiki

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

World Health ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The World ◽

Enugu State ◽

Health Organization

Background: The world is experiencing a global corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of 9th June 2020, over 7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and more than 400,000 deaths had been reported in more than 30 countries of the world according to World Health Organization. Aim: We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and vulnerability perception of Enugu state residents during the coronavirus outbreak in order to facilitate better health care outcomes. Methodology: A prospective Web-based cross-sectional survey was designed for this study which was conducted in March 2020 among Enugu state residents. The obtained data were coded, validated, and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences SPSS software, version 24. Descriptive analysis was applied to calculate the frequencies and proportions and Chi-Square Test was also used. A preliminary phase was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaire before its use. Results: The study showed that significant number (99.6%) of the respondents had heard about Covid-19 and the most stated source of knowledge was social media (57.6%), followed by Newspaper and television shows (50.2%) while the least was from General Practitioner (GP) (8.9%). There was over 75% agreement with, and practice, of all known covid precautionary measures and less than 35% responses for wrong claims and practices about covid -19. Conclusion: The overall knowledge, attitude, and perception are high in Enugu state population although few still has background combined superstitious believes. Social media and internet are the highest used facility for acquisition of knowledge and information in Enugu, Nigeria.

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