Symptoms of Neurotoxicity among Carpenters Living in Rural Ecuador: A Population-based Study (The Atahualpa Project)

ABSTRACT Background: There is no information on the prevalence of symptoms related to neurotoxicity among carpenters working in underserved populations. To assess the magnitude of the problem, we conducted a population-based study in Atahualpa, a rural Ecuadorian village, where most men work as carpenters under poor safety conditions. Methods: All men aged 40–75 years living in Atahualpa were identified during a door-to-door survey and evaluated with a general demographic questionnaire, the Q16 questionnaire, the depression axis of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results: Among 230 participants, 63% were carpenters. Seventy participants (30%) had a positive Q16 questionnaire (≥6 points), which suggested neurotoxicity. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, education, alcohol intake, symptoms of depression, and MoCA score, the proportion of Q16 positive persons was 39.1% for carpenters and 15.9% for noncarpenters (odds ratio: 3.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.75–7.15, P < 0.0001). In a generalized linear model, adjusted mean scores in the Q16 questionnaire were 4.9 for carpenters and 3.6 for noncarpenters (β: 1.285, standard error: 0.347, P < 0.0001). There was no correlation between scores in the Q16 questionnaire and the MoCA (Pearson correlation coefficient = −0.02), and the only significant covariate in the multivariate linear model was age, with every 10 years of age difference contributing 0.64 points in the Q16 questionnaire. Conclusion: This study shows a high prevalence of symptoms associated with neurotoxicity among carpenters after adjusting for a number of confounders. Long-term exposure to toxic solvents is the most likely explanation to this finding.

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COVID-19 antibody seroprevalence in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq: A population-based study

10.1101/2021.03.23.21254169 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nawfal R Hussein ◽

Amer Balatay ◽

Ibrahim A Naqid ◽

Shakir A Jamal ◽

Narin A Rasheed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pearson Correlation ◽

Population Based ◽

Common Symptom ◽

Kurdistan Region ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Population Based Study ◽

High Prevalence ◽

History Of ◽

Testing Management ◽

Antibody Levels

Abstract Objective This population-based study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Duhok City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Methods We analyzed the national COVID-19 database that contains data regarding COVID-19 testing, management, and clinical outcomes in Duhok. For this study, different subdistricts within each district of Duhok were considered distinct clusters. Blood samples were collected from and questionnaires were administered to eligible and consenting participants who were members of different families from the subdistricts. Immunoassays were conducted to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and the associations between certain variables were investigated. Results The average number cases of COVID-19 before November 2020 was 23141 ± 4364, which was significantly higher than the average number of cases between November 2020 and February 2021 (3737 ± 2634; P = 0.001). A total of 743 individuals agreed to participate and were enrolled in the study. Among the participants, 465/743 (62.58%) were found to have antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Among the participants with antibodies, 262/465 (56.34%) denied having any history of COVID-19-related symptoms. The most common symptom was fever (81.77%), followed by myalgia (81.28%). We found that antibody levels increased steadily with age (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.117; P = 0.012). A significant association was found between antibody levels and the presence of symptoms (P = 0.023; odds ratio = 1.0023; 95% confidence interval = 1.0002-1.0061). Conclusions A significant reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases was observed. This might be due to the high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Duhok. However, infection-prevention measures should be followed as it remains unclear whether acquired immunity is protective against reinfection. It expected that the infection rates during the next wave will not be as high as the first wave due to the high infection rate in the society.

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High prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Iran: a large population-based study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/1471-2458-9-44 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Farhad Hosseinpanah ◽

Farshad Kasraei ◽

Amir A Nassiri ◽

Fereidoun Azizi

Keyword(s):

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Large Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Population Based Study ◽

High Prevalence

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PREVALANCE OF HEAD AND NECK CANCER IN UPPER ASSAM: AN INSTITUTIONAL STUDY.

10.36106/ijsr/0807612 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 50-51

Author(s):

Ayesha Agarwal ◽

Trishan Paul ◽

Rudra Kanta Gogoi ◽

Rheetwik Baruah ◽

Chiranjeev Baruah

Keyword(s):

Oral Cavity ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Population Based ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Medical College ◽

Starting Point ◽

High Prevalence ◽

North Eastern ◽

Total Body

In India, head and neck cancers (HNCA) account for 14.3% cancers at all sites. In North-eastern India, there is a high prevalence of HNCA which can be associated with pervasive habit of using tobacco, lime and betel. The alarmingly high prevalence of cancers of head and neck in this part of India has prompted us to take up this study. Ahospital-based study on prevalence of cancer in various head and neck regions like oropharynx, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, salivary glands and nasal cavity was conducted in Department of Radiation Oncology, Assam Medical College and Hospital from June 2020 to May 2021.The prevalence is found to be signicantly high at 57.59%, affecting males more than females in the age group of 50-59 years. HNCA of hypopharynx and oral cavity constituted a major burden of total body cancer. This study hopes to quantify and analyse the HNCAspectrum and should help as a starting point for a much needed population based study in this region. Acomprehensive effort is required to identify the cause of such high prevalence of HNCAin this region of India, generate awareness and treatment options suited to meet this challenge.

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