Sinus barotrauma is a common occupational disease of divers, with the incidence of descent barotrauma approximately double that of ascent. Pain chronologically associated with the change of pressure is the most dominant symptom and is seen in 92% of the cases presented for treatment. The majority complain of a frontal distribution of pain, with ethmoidal and maxillary being much less significant. Epistaxis is the second commonest symptom, and may be the sole symptom in some ascent cases. A history of recent or past sinus barotrauma or upper respiratory tract pathology is very common. Clinical examination supports the evidence of upper respiratory tract pathology in many cases. The radiological signs of abnormality were present in over three quarters of the cases examined. Of these the maxillary sinus was affected in most cases, the frontal in approximately one quarter and the ethmoidal in less than a fifth. The pathology was more commonly that of mucosal thickening, but in 12% of cases there was a fluid level. It is noted that although symptoms were predominantly frontal, x-ray changes were most often present in the maxillary sinuses.

Diving↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Social influences, social norms, social support, and smoking behavior among adolescent workers.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationships between worksite interpersonal influences and smoking and quitting behavior among adolescent workers. DESIGN: The cross-sectional survey assessed factors influencing tobacco use behavior. SETTING: During the fall of 1998, data were collected from 10 grocery stores in Massachusetts that were owned and managed by the same company. SUBJECTS: Eligible participants included 474 working adolescents ages 15 to 18. Eighty-three percent of workers (n = 379) completed the survey. MEASURES: The self-report questionnaire assessed social influences, social norms, social support, friendship networks, stage of smoking and quitting behavior, employment patterns, and demographic factors. RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of respondents were never smokers, 21% experimental, 5% occasional, 18% regular, and 23% former smokers. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), results indicate that regular smokers were 30% more likely than experimental or occasional smokers to report coworker encouragement to quit (p = .0002). Compared with regular smokers, never smokers were 15% more likely to report greater nonacceptability of smoking (p = .01). chi 2 tests of association revealed no differences in friendship networks by stage of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide evidence for the need to further explore social factors inside and outside the work environment that influence smoking and quitting behavior among working teens. Interpretations of the data are limited because of cross-sectional and self-report data collection methods used in one segment of the retail sector.

Adolescent↗