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PubMed2005

Methodological aspects of a GIS-based environmental health inspection program used in the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic Games.

BACKGROUND: The use of geographical information system (GIS) technologies in public health surveillance is gradually gaining momentum around the world and many applications have already been reported in the literature. In this study, GIS technology was used to help county departments of Public Health to implement environmental health surveillance for the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic Games. METHODS: In order to assess the workload in each Olympic county, 19 registry forms and 17 standardized inspection forms were developed to register and inspect environmental health items requiring inspection (Hotels, restaurants, swimming pools, water supply system etc), respectively. Furthermore, related databases were created using Epi Info 2002 and a geographical information system (GIS) were used to implement an integrated Environmental Health inspection program. The project was conducted in Athens by the Olympic Planning Unit (OPU) of the National School of Public Health, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity and the corresponding departments of Public Health in all municipalities that were scheduled to host events during the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic games. RESULTS: A total of 44,741 premises of environmental health interest were geocoded into GIS databases and several electronic maps were developed. Using such maps in association with specific criteria, we first identified the maximum workload required to execute environmental health inspections in all premises within the eleven Olympic County Departments of Public Health. Six different scenarios were created for each county, based on devised algorithms in order to design the most effective and realistic inspection program using the available inspectors from each municipality. Furthermore, GIS applications were used to organize the daily inspection program for the Olympic games, provide coloured displays of the inspection results and link those results with the public health surveillance of specific cases or outbreak investigation. CONCLUSION: Our computerised program exhibited significant efficiency in facilitating the prudent use of public health resources in implementing environmental health inspections in densely populated urban areas as well as in rural counties. Furthermore, the application of simple algorithms in integrating human and other resources provided tailored and cost-effective applications to different public health agencies.

Accidents↗
PubMed2006

Health promotion programs related to the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic games.

BACKGROUND: The Olympic Games constitute a first-class opportunity to promote athleticism and health messages. Little is known, however on the impact of Olympic Games on the development of health-promotion programs for the general population. Our objective was to identify and describe the population-based health-promotion programs implemented in relation to the Athens 2004 Olympic and Para Olympic Games. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of all stakeholders of the Games, including the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, all ministries of the Greek government, the National School of Public Health, all municipalities hosting Olympic events and all official private sponsors of the Games, was conducted after the conclusion of the Games. RESULTS: A total of 44 agencies were surveyed, 40 responded (91%), and ten (10) health-promotion programs were identified. Two programs were implemented by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, 2 from the Greek ministries, 2 from the National School of Public Health, 1 from municipalities, and 3 from official private sponsors of the Games. The total cost of the programs was estimated at 943,000 Euros; a relatively small fraction (0.08%) of the overall cost of the Games. CONCLUSION: Greece has made a small, however, significant step forward, on health promotion, in the context of the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee and the future hosting countries, including China, are encouraged to elaborate on this idea and offer the world a promising future for public health.

Anniversaries and Special Events↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vaccination against hepatitis B virus in workers of a general hospital in Athens.

BACKGROUND: Protection against hepatitis B virus infection by vaccination is considered to be an important preventive measure for health care workers. OBJECTIVES: Investigation of vaccination coverage against hepatitis B virus in health care workers of a regional general hospital in Athens and assessment of predictive factors possibly associated with the likelihood of vaccination. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, a questionnaire survey was carried out on 175 health care workers of a regional general hospital in Athens. The questionnaire included questions concerning socio-demographic factors, HBV vaccination status and reasons for non-vaccination, as well as questions about knowledge of routes of transmission and the complications of HBV infection. Compliance with preventive practices against HBV infection was also assessed. RESULTS: Overall vaccination coverage was 57.1%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that occupation and use of gloves were independently associated with the likelihood of vaccination against HBV Doctors recorded an odds ratio (OR) for vaccination of 4.45 in comparison with nurses/paramedics. Health care workers who wore gloves always/most times demonstrated an odds ratio of 2.79 for vaccination against HBV in comparison with those who never/rarely used them. CONCLUSIONS: Our study illustrates the characteristics of health care workers with lower prevalence of vaccination against HBV in a representative sample of these workers in a regional general hospital in Athens: nurses/paramedics, those with low level of compliance with use of gloves, and those in non surgical departments. Educational interventions as part of a vaccination programme and continuing education on universal precautions could help increase HBV vaccination coverage among health care workers of the hospital under study.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Childbirth in modern Athens: the transition from homebirth to hospital birth.

The transition of birthing practices in Greece from a homebirth culture, in which women deliver at home surrounded by family and under the supervision of a typically female birth attendant, to a biomedical birth model, in which women deliver in a hospital with numerous forms of medical intervention and under the control of a physician, has been unusually rapid. Today, Western biomedicine not only dominates the health care system in Greece but has an essential hegemony on women's health care. My research examines whether the pervasive utilization of biomedical environments for birthing can be explained by a lack of alternatives or by women's satisfaction with the technology and care available in hospitals. I also examine how women retain control over their experience of pregnancy and childbirth within the biomedical context and attempt to explain the emerging construction of a "natural" discourse on pregnancy and childbirth in Athens. Major themes that emerged from interviews with Athenian women were the lack of consent for medical intervention during birth, limited infrastructure to support women who seek non-medical alternatives, and limited emotional support and collective education for mothers in the urban environment of Athens. Also, women described choosing the right caregiver as essential to maintaining a sense of control over their pregnancy and, more generally, over their life. In light of women's apparent interest in improving women's experience of pregnancy and childbirth in Athens, it is recommended that researchers further explore the interaction of medical and non-medical discourses on pregnancy and childbirth.

Delivery, Obstetric↗
PubMed2000

Molecular epidemiology of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in Athens, Greece.

The relevance of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infections in liver pathology remains unclear. To investigate the epidemiology of GBV-C/HGV in Athens, Greece, sera from 512 subjects were screened for present and past markers of GBV-C/HGV infection using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a serological assay, respectively. GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in 18/56 (32.1%), 12/42 (28.6%), and 16/55 (29.1%) patients with acute hepatitis B, C, or non-A-E, and in 5/58 (8.6%) and 18/68 (26.5%) patients with chronic hepatitis B or C, respectively, as well as in 50/133 (37.6%) hemodialysis patients and 10/100 (10%) healthy individuals. The data indicated that GBV-C/HGV seroprevalence is age-dependent; thus, GBV-C/HGV RNA and anti-E2 positivity were shown to be associated with younger age [odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0. 97-1.00, P = 0.017] and older age (odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, P = 0.002), respectively. No significant associations were identified between GBV-C/HGV RNA status and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in either hepatitis or hemodialysis patients. Nevertheless, GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive acute non-A-E hepatitis patients were more likely to manifest a more severe clinical form of acute hepatitis (P = 0.024). Phylogenetic analysis of partial 5'-untranslated region sequences isolated from 18 viremic individuals showed that most GBV-C/HGV strains circulating in the greater metropolitan area of Athens belong to the 2a subgroup. A genetically diverse type 2 sequence that may represent a novel subtype within group 2 was also characterized.

5' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence and genotypic distribution of TT virus in Athens, Greece.

The prevalence of TT virus (TTV) infection in various population groups from Athens, Greece, was assessed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two primer sets from distinct regions of the genome: the conventional set derived from the open reading frame-1 (ORF-1) and the new, highly sensitive set targeting the region that includes the TATA signal localized upstream of ORF-2. Based on both primer sets, TTV DNA was detected in 42/50 (84.0%) healthy individuals, 42/50 (84.0%) chronic hepatitis C patients, 31/39 (79.5%) acute non-A-E hepatitis patients (group I), 14/16 (87.5%) renal failure patients with acute non-A-E hepatitis (group II), 47/50 (94.0%) intravenous drug users (IVDU), 36/50 (72.0%) hemophiliacs, and 21/31 (67.7%) hemodialysis patients. The presence of TTV was not associated with any particular risk group, and no differences were observed in relation to demographic, biochemical and virological characteristics between TTV DNA-positive and -negative patients. TTV did not seem to have a profound effect on the course of chronic C or acute non-A-E hepatitis either. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that TTV strains circulating in the greater metropolitan area of Athens belong not only to the G1 and G2 genotypes that are encountered worldwide, but also to G3 and to G5 that are found mainly in Europe and Asia, respectively. Further studies will shed light on the role of this highly prevalent virus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Report on the 1st International Conference of the Hellenic Proteomics Society in Athens, Greece.

The First International Conference of the Hellenic Proteomics Society took place at the Foundation for Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece, 22-25 May 2005. Scientists from about 20 countries attended this conference where proceedings in proteomics methodologies, advances in mass spectrometry, proteomics applications, disease diagnostics and bioinformatics were presented. The relatively small size of the meeting gave the opportunity for the attendees to interact and discuss projects and collaborations. The event was completely financed by companies which exhibited their products and services related to proteomics research.

Computational Biology↗
PubMed1987

Mutagenicity, sister chromatid exchange inducibility and in vitro cell transforming ability of particulates from Athens air.

Airborne particulates were collected over a period of twelve months by the use of Hi-Vol samplers in the basin of Athens, Greece. N-Hexane extracts were tested in a battery of in vitro tests for their ability to induce mutation in bacteria as well as mutation, sister chromatid exchange and morphological transformation in cultured mammalian cells. Positive results were found for mutagenicity with Salmonella strain TA98 in the Ames assay, for sister chromatid exchange induction in CHO cells and for transformation in BALB/c 3T3 cells in culture. They also showed weak non-dose-related induction of ouabain resistance in BALB/c 3T3 cells. The contribution of oxidizing and nitrating agents found in the Athens atmosphere, together with sunlight UV irradiation in the formation of direct acting mutagens and potential carcinogens from ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, is suggested.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2002

Volatile hydrocarbons in the atmosphere of Athens, Greece.

This work presents the results of one-year monitoring study of Volatile Hydrocarbons, VHCs, in the atmosphere of Athens. It is the first systematic attempt to determine the VHC levels in the Athens' atmosphere with the very well known photochemical pollution problems. The purpose of this work was to create a database concerning VHCs in order to evaluate the photochemical pollution in this area (ozone creation, case studies and meteorology). Totally, 308 samples were collected at three different sites used in the state-monitoring programme involving the criteria pollutants. Air samples were collected on Tenax TA tubes and analysed by thermal desorption and dual column GC dual FID. Fifteen selected compounds were studied; 6 alkanes and 9 benzenoid compounds. The measured values of individual alkanes ranged from 0.39 pg m(-3) to 33 pg m(-3), and those of aromatics from 0.20 pg m(-3) to 616 pg m(-3). The sum of all 15 VHC concentrations ranged between 16 and 1697 pg m(-3). The time and spatial variations in the concentration of these compounds were assessed. Volatile hydrocarbons exhibited a clear seasonal and time cycle, showing higher concentrations during winter and early morning hours. Study of the spatial variations of VHC levels showed higher concentrations at the center of the city. The variation of toluene/benzene ratio and the correlation between VHCs, criteria pollutants (CO, NOx and O3) and meteorological parameters were also assessed. It was demonstrated that a trip-line of the VHCs concentration at the city center doubles the ozone concentration at peripheral areas under favourable meteorological conditions.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2006

Weather impacts on respiratory infections in Athens, Greece.

In this study the contribution of meteorological parameters to the total variability of respiratory infections (RI) is analysed. For this purpose, data on the daily numbers of general practitioner (GP) consultations for RI during the year 2002 were used. This dataset has been compiled by the Local Health Service in the surroundings of Athens, Greece (Acharnes city). The meteorological data obtained by the Meteorological Station of the National Observatory of Athens comprise daily values of mean, maximum, and minimum air temperature, air temperature range, relative humidity, absolute humidity, sunshine, surface atmospheric pressure, wind speed, as well as day-to-day changes of these parameters. Furthermore, the following biometeorological parameters and thermal indices were also evaluated: mean radiant temperature (T (mrt)), predicted mean vote (PMV), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) and standard effective temperature (SET*) as well as their day-to-day changes. First, the relationship between every meteorological-biometeorological parameter and consultations for RI was examined by applying the Pearson Chi-Square Test (chi (2)) to the data of the 25 compiled contingency tables. In the second stage, the application of generalised linear models (GLM) with Poisson distribution to the data revealed how much the weather variability leads to statistically important changes in consultations for RI. The results of this study contribute to the evidence that there is an association between weather conditions and the number of GP consultations for RI. More specifically, the influence of air temperature and absolute humidity on consultations on the same day is weaker than the lag effect ( approximately 2 weeks) related to cold existence and absolute humidity, while a strong wind during the preceding 3 days drives a peak in GP consultations.

Greece↗
PubMed2006

Extreme nitrogen oxide and ozone concentrations in Athens atmosphere in relation to meteorological conditions.

In the present study, we investigate the variation of NOx)(NO + NO2) and O3 concentrations and the relation between the extreme events (episodes) of NOx and O3 concentrations and the relevant meteorological conditions in the urban atmosphere of the Athens basin. Hourly data of NO, NO2 and O3 concentrations from 10 representative monitoring sites located in the Athens basin were used, covering the 10-year time period from 1994 to 2003. The results of our analysis show that the concentrations of air pollutants differ significantly from one monitoring site to another, due to the location and proximity of each station to the emission sources. For each site, there are also significant differences in NOx and O3 concentrations from day to day, as well as from month to month and/or from season to season. The annual and seasonal variations show higher NO values in winter and lower in summer. On the contrary, NO2 and O3 values are higher in summer (photochemical production of O3) and lower in winter. These differences are attributed, to a large extent, to the prevailing synoptic and meteorological conditions, the most important between them being the wind direction and speed as well as the atmospheric pressure. Our analysis of the identified 179 extreme NOx air pollution events shows that most of them took place under anticyclonic conditions, associated with calm or weak winds (speed <2.5 ms(-1)) of mostly southern to southwestern directions, as well as with low air temperatures and intense stable surface atmospheric conditions. There exists a significant decreasing tendency in NOx air pollution episodic events over the 10-year study period, resulting in very few to none events in the period from 2000 to 2003. As far as it concerns the extreme O3 concentrations, 34 air pollution events were identified, occurring under high air temperatures, variable weak winds and intense solar irradiation. The trends of O3 concentrations are stronger in suburban sites than in urban ones.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1976

Hemoglobin Athens-Georgia, or alpha 2 beta 2 40(C6)Arg replaced by Lys, a hemoglobin variant with an increased oxygen affinity.

A new hemoglobin variant, termed hemoglobin Athens-Georgia, has been found in a 23-year-old Caucasian student and three members of her family. The electrophoretic mobility of this variant at pH 9.0 is slightly less than that of hemoglobin-A. Arginyl residue in position 40 of the beta chain, corresponding to position 6 of the C helix, has been replaced by a lysyl residue. This amino acid substitution is at the alpha1-beta2 contact and slightly affects the oxygen binding properties of the hemoglobin molecule. Hemoglobin Athens-Georgia has an increased affinity for oxygen, a normal heme-heme interaction and a normal Bohr effect. Hematological abnormalities are not associated with this variant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Mutagenicity and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons analysis of ambient airborne particles collected in Athens, Greece.

Samples of airborne particulates from the Athens atmosphere were examined for mutagenicity and various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Extracts induced linear, dose-related increases in TA98 His+ revertants in the Ames/Salmonella assay and contained average benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) levels of 3.9 ng/m3 of air. The levels of revertants/m3 of the samples showed a linear relation to their BaP and benzo[b]-(BbF) + benzo[k]-fluoranthene (BkF) concentrations and were higher in areas with dense traffic than in industrial areas. It is suggested that the atmosphere of Athens favours the formation of secondary direct-acting mutagens due to the oxidation and nitration of PAH by ozone and nitrogen oxides, which are more abundant in the late spring months.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1991

A case-control study of air pollution and tobacco smoking in lung cancer among women in Athens.

BACKGROUND: A case-control study exploring the role of smoking and outdoor air pollution in the causation of lung cancer, by histologic type, in nonsmoking women, was undertaken in Athens between 1987 and 1989. METHODS: One hundred one women with lung cancer and 89 comparison women with fractures or other orthopedic conditions, all permanent residents of Greater Athens, were included in the study. Smoking habits were ascertained through interviews, whereas lifetime exposure to air pollution was assessed by linking blindly lifelong residential and employment addresses of all subjects with objectively estimated or presumed air pollution levels. RESULTS: The age-adjusted relative risk and 95% confidence intervals for lung cancer among current smokers compared with nonsmokers was 3.40 (1.75-6.61); it was 7.43 (2.88-19.13) among those smoking for more than 30 years and 7.46 (2.40-23.17) among those smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day. The age-adjusted relative risk was 1.70 (0.75-3.89) for adenocarcinoma and 6.45 (2.73-15.25) for other histologic types of lung cancer; statistically significant dose-response trends were evident for both histologic groups. Air pollution levels were associated with increased risk for lung cancer but the relative risk was small and statistically not significant. However, when both air pollution and duration (or quantity) of tobacco smoking, as well as their interaction, were introduced in a multiple logistic regression model, the interaction term was significant at the suggestive level of 0.10. CONCLUSION: Whereas there is no effect of air pollution among nonsmokers, the relative risk contrasting extreme quartiles of air pollution among smokers of 30 years duration was 2.23. The interaction was almost exclusively accounted for by the nonadenocarcinoma lung tumors.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Air pollution and the decline of the fir forest in Parnis National Park, near Athens, Greece.

The Greek fir Abies cephalonica Loud. dominates the higher elevations of Mount Parnis, located 30 km north of Athens. The fir forest is showing signs of stress and dieback commonly attributed to past mismanagement, periodic drought, and to disease. Tree cores, lichens, and needle samples were collected from a southeast site facing Athens and from a north-facing site. Fir trees from the southeast site exhibited growth reduction since the early sixties. Trees from the north site did not show growth reduction but they showed growth deceleration since 1970. Lichen samples from the southeast site had significantly higher levels of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Al, Mo, Mn and N than samples from the north site. We suggest that air pollution could be contributing to the decline of the forest.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

PM10-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Greater Area of Athens, Greece.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated to ambient PM10 were determined at four sites within the Greater Athens Area (GAA), Greece, during the period May 2001-June 2002. Daily average PM10 samples were collected using reference samplers installed in two urban locations (Maroussi, MAR and Aristotelous, ARI), a mixed urban-industrial location (Elefsina, ELE), and a background location (Thracomacedones, THR). Spatial and temporal variation of ambient PAH levels and possible relationships with conventional air pollutants and meteorological parameters were investigated. Moreover, source identification was attempted using diagnostic ratios. The PAH concentrations observed in this study, even in downtown Athens, were towards the lowest end of the range of values reported for other European urban locations. The mean concentration of the well known carcinogen B[alpha]Py was at all four sites below the proposed value of 1 ng m-3 (annual average assessment threshold). Automobile traffic was identified as the major PAH source in the GAA exhibiting greatest contribution in the urban sites.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2006

Characterization of atmospheric particulates, particle-bound transition metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of urban air in the centre of Athens (Greece).

The concentrations of trace metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) adsorbed to total suspended particulate (TSP) and finer fractions of airborne particulate matter (PM) were determined from a site in the centre of Athens (Greece), which is characterized by heavy local traffic and is densely populated, during the winter and summer periods in 2003-2004. Also, we collected and analyzed samples of diesel and gasoline exhaust particles from local vehicles (buses, taxis and private cars) and from chimney exhaust of residential central heating appliances. A seasonal effect was observed for the size distribution of aerosol mass, with a shift to larger fine fractions in winter. The most commonly detected trace metals in the TSP and PM fractions were Fe, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, V, Ni and Cd and their concentrations were similar to levels observed in heavily polluted urban areas from local traffic and other anthropogenic emissions. Analysis of 16 PAHs bound to PM showed that they are mostly traffic related. In general, the fine particulate PAHs concentrations were higher than coarse particles. The most common PAHs in PM(10.2) and PM(2.1) were pyrene, phenanthrene, acenapthylene and fluoranthene, which are associated with diesel and gasoline exhaust particles. The results of this study underlined the importance of local emission sources, especially vehicular traffic, central heating and other local anthropogenic emissions. Compared with other big cities, Athens has much higher levels of airborne particles, especially of the finer fractions PM(10) and PM(2.5), correlated with traffic-related air pollution.

Air Pollutants↗