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PubMedDate not supplied

Traffic-related air pollution affects peak expiratory flow, exhaled nitric oxide, and inflammatory nasal markers.

The authors used a longitudinal observational design, with repeated measures, to study the association between traffic-related air pollutants (i.e., nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and Black Smoke) and respiratory symptoms. Subjects (N = 82) attended an elementary school in either Utrecht (i.e., urban children) or Bilthoven (i.e., suburban children). These two geographic areas differed with respect to levels of Black Smoke (means = 53 microg/m3 and 18 microg/m3, respectively). Levels of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and Black Smoke were consistently higher in Utrecht than in Bilthoven (mean daily ratios were 8, 1.5, 1.8, and 2.7, respectively). The authors compared mean levels of short-term effects of the aforementioned air pollutants on suburban and urban children. Urban children had higher mean levels (p = .05) of interleukin-8 (32%), urea (39%), uric acid (26%), albumin (15%), and nitric oxide metabolites (21%) in nasal lavage than did suburban children. Peak expiratory flow, exhaled nitric oxide levels, and nasal markers were associated with levels of particulate matter with diameters less than or equal to 10 microm, Black Smoke, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide. With respect to per-unit increases in air pollution, urban children had more increased peak expiratory flow, higher levels of exhaled nitric oxide, and more increased release of uric acid, urea, and nitric oxide metabolites than suburban children. In summary, urban children had increased levels of inflammatory nasal markers, and their responses were more pronounced than were the suburban children's responses to the same increments of air pollution.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Exposure to lead and cadmium of children living in different areas of north-west Germany: results of biological monitoring studies 1982-1986.

Between 1982 and 1986 several surveys were carried out to determine the levels of lead and cadmium in blood, urine, and shed deciduous teeth (incisors only) of children living in rural, suburban, urban, and industrial areas of North-West Germany. Blood lead (PbB) and blood cadmium (CdB) were measured in about 4000 children. In rural, suburban and urban areas the median PbB levels vary between 5.5 and 7 micrograms/dl, with 98th percentiles varying between 10 and 13 micrograms/dl. The median CdB levels are between 0.1 and 0.2 microgram/dl, with 95th percentiles between 0.3 and 0.4 microgram/l. Children from urban areas have significantly higher PbB levels than children from rural and suburban areas. Regarding CdB no differences could be detected. Children living in areas around lead and zinc smelters, particularly those living very close to the smelters, have substantially increased PbB and CdB levels. Children from lead worker families also have substantially increased PbB and CdB levels. The lead levels in shed milk teeth (PbT) were determined in about 3000 children. In rural, suburban and urban areas the median PbT levels are between 2 and 3 micrograms/g, with 95th percentiles between 4 and 7 micrograms/g. Children from urban areas have significantly higher PbT levels than children from rural and suburban areas. The highest PbT levels (on a group basis) are in children from nonferrous smelter areas. The median levels of lead in urine (PbU) are between 6 and 10 micrograms/g creatinine, with 95th percentiles between 20 and 30 micrograms/g creatinine. Children from polluted areas have higher PbU levels than children from less polluted areas. The median levels of cadmium in urine (CdU) are in the order of 0.1 microgram/g creatinine, with 95th percentiles being in the range of 0.5 and 1.0 microgram/g creatinine. Girls have higher CdU levels than boys. There are no differences between groups of children from different areas. Children from lead worker families have higher PbU and CdU levels than otherwise comparable children. The results of the present studies indicate a further decrease of PbB in children from North-West Germany since the CEC blood lead campaigns carried out in 1979 and 1981. The decrease of lead exposure also seems to be reflected by a decrease of tooth lead levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Tidal creek and salt marsh sediments in South Carolina coastal estuaries: II. Distribution of organic contaminants.

Twenty-eight tidal creeks along the South Carolina coast were sampled during the summer of 1995 to determine the levels of sediment contamination including organic chemicals (i.e., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs], polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], and DDT and its metabolites) associated with different types and varying levels of watershed development (i.e., industrial/urban, suburban, forested, and salt marsh). Organic analysis utilized high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection and capillary gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-ITMS) for PAHs, and gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) for pesticides and PCBs. Results indicated that creeks with industrial/urban watersheds had significantly higher concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, and DDT compared with creeks with suburban and forested (reference) watersheds. The suburban watershed class of creeks had concentrations of half the PAH analytes and the total PCBs which exceeded the concentrations found in the forested watershed class of creeks. The spatial distribution of organic contaminants was evaluated in four of these tidal creek-salt marsh systems representing urban/industrial, suburban, and forested watersheds, from the creek channel to the adjacent uplands. The distribution of organic contaminants within each representative creek was not concordant with the total organic carbon or the clay content of the sediment. The representative industrial/urban creek-marsh system, Diesel Creek, had the highest concentration of PAHs in the creek channel and the highest concentration of PCBs and DDT on the marsh surface, primarily in the upper portion of the system. The representative suburban creek-marsh system, Shem Creek, had elevated levels of both PAHs and PCBs throughout the entire system. This system also had one site with a total PAH concentration of 324,000 ppb and a total DDT concentration that was 20-100 times higher than the other sites. One of the representative forested creek-marsh systems, Rathall Creek, had low levels of the three organic contaminants except for one sampling site that had PAH concentrations a factor of 10 higher than the other sites. The other representative forested creek-marsh system, Long Creek, had low levels of PAHs and PCBs, but elevated levels of DDT were observed, particularly in the upper portion on the marsh surface. The results of this study suggest that (1) anthropogenic alteration of the land cover in the watersheds of tidal creek-salt marsh systems may increase the organic contaminant loadings in the sediment, and (2) tidal creek-salt marsh sediments, particularly in the creek channel, are repositories and potentially conduits of organic contaminants from the upland environment to the deeper estuarine areas.http://link.springer-ny. com/link/service/journals/00244/bibs/37n4p458.html</++ +HEA

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed2006

Built and social environments associations with adolescent overweight and activity.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the patterning of neighborhood characteristics, beyond the basic urban, rural, suburban trichotomy, and its impact on physical activity (PA) and overweight. METHODS: Nationally representative data (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 1994-1995, n = 20,745) were collected. Weight, height, PA, and sedentary behavior were self-reported. Using diverse measures of the participants' residential neighborhoods (e.g., socioeconomic status, crime, road type, street connectivity, PA recreation facilities), cluster analyses identified homogeneous groups of adolescents sharing neighborhood characteristics. Poisson regression predicted relative risk (RR) of being physically active (five or more bouts/week of moderate to vigorous PA) and overweight (body mass index equal or greater than the 95th percentile, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics growth curves). RESULTS: Six robust neighborhood patterns were identified: (1) rural working class; (2) exurban; (3) newer suburban; (4) upper-middle class, older suburban; (5) mixed-race urban; and (6) low-socioeconomic-status (SES) inner-city areas. Compared to adolescents living in newer suburbs, those in rural working-class (adjusted RR[ARR] = 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13-1.69), exurban (ARR = 1.30, CI = 1.04-1.64), and mixed-race urban (ARR = 1.31, CI = 1.05-1.64) neighborhoods were more likely to be overweight, independent of individual SES, age, and race/ethnicity. Adolescents living in older suburban areas were more likely to be physically active than residents of newer suburbs (ARR = 1.11, CI = 1.04-1.18). Those living in low-SES inner-city neighborhoods were more likely to be active, though not significantly so, compared to mixed-race urban residents (ARR = 1.09, CI = 1.00-1.18). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate disadvantageous associations between specific rural and urban environments and behavior, illustrating important effects of the neighborhood on health and the inherent complexity of assessing residential landscapes across the United States. Simple classical urban-suburban-rural measures mask these important complexities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Food supplementation and possible mechanisms underlying early breeding in the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens).

Food supplementation studies demonstrate the importance of resources in the timing of reproduction. Studies of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) found that supplemented jays bred earlier than unsupplemented jays and that protein may play a critical role. In this study, free-living scrub-jays were provided with supplemental diets high in fat and protein (HFHP) or high in fat and low in protein (HFLP). Jays in both treatments bred earlier than unsupplemented controls (CNT), but HFHP-supplemented jays bred earlier than HFLP jays. To assess possible mechanisms, we measured testosterone (T) in males, estradiol (E2) in females, and corticosterone (CORT) in both. HFHP males had higher T than HFLP and CNT males, but treatment did not affect E2 levels of females. Pilot studies of scrub-jays in suburban environments suggest that the spatial and temporal predictability of food may influence corticosterone (CORT) levels. Suburban jays have year-round access to human-provided foods and breed earlier than wildland jays; thus, we compared CORT in all treatments in the natural site (wildlands) with those of suburban jays. CORT levels of suburban jays were lower than HFLP, HFHP, and CNT jays. HFHP-supplemented jays had lower CORT levels than those of HFLP and CNT jays. The observed differences in the timing of breeding, both between suburban and wildland populations and between experimental groups in the wildlands, may result from differences in the spatial and temporal predictability of food, and the nutritional differences in diets. Because CORT can negatively affect the reproductive axis, we postulate that nutrient availability, the predictability of food, CORT levels, and initiation of reproduction are inextricably linked.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2002

Soil nitrogen cycle processes in urban riparian zones.

Riparian zones have been found to function as "sinks" for nitrate (NO3-), the most common groundwater pollutant in the U. S., in many areas. The vast majority of riparian research, however, has focused on agricultural watersheds. There has been little analysis of riparian zones in urban watersheds, despite the fact that urban areas are important sources of NO3- to nitrogen (N)-sensitive coastal waters in many locations. In this study, we measured stream incision, water table depths, and pools, production (mineralization, nitrification), and consumption (denitrification) of NO3- in urban soils. Samples were taken from soil profiles (0-100 cm) of three forested urban and suburban zones and one forested reference riparian zone in the Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area. Our objectives were to determine (1) if stream incision associated with urbanization results in lower riparian water tables, and (2) if pools, production, and consumption of NO3- vary systematically with stream incision and riparian water table levels. Two of the three urban and suburban streams were more incised and all three had lower water tables in their riparian zones than the forested reference stream. Urban and suburban riparian zones had higher NO3- pools and nitrification rates than the forested reference riparian zone, which was likely due to more aerobic soil profiles, lower levels of available soil carbon, and greater N enrichment in the urban and suburban sites. At all sites, denitrification potential decreased markedly with depth in the soil profile. Lower water tables in the urban and suburban riparian zones thus inhibit interaction of groundwater-borne NO3- with near surface soils that have the highest denitrification potential. These results suggest that urban hydrologic factors can increase the production and reduce the consumption of NO3- in riparian zones, reducing their ability to function as sinks for NO3- in the landscape.

Cities↗
PubMed2002

Child care decisions: parental choice or chance?

AIM: A study of the context of child care decision making by inner city and suburban mothers, using parents to help develop and administer a semi-structured questionnaire. METHODS: A total of 131 mothers were interviewed (73 inner city and 58 suburban) at home. RESULTS: Inner city mothers were more likely to bottle feed, smoke and adopt risky infant sleeping positions, for example the settee. Virtually all babies (98%) were fully vaccinated and placed prone (95%) to sleep at night. Inner city mothers smoked (71%) despite the known health risks and continued postnatally (55%), mainly as a means of relieving stress. In total, 30% of inner city mothers wanted to breast feed; 19% had succeeded to 6-8 weeks postnatally. Bottle feeding helped both mother and baby to have uninterrupted nights of sleep. Suburban mothers (59%) succeeded in breast feeding, with others choosing bottle feeding mostly because of returning to work. The average weekly alcohol consumption, 32 units inner city and 15 units suburban, was taken in weekend binges by inner city parents, but in daily small amounts by suburban mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The well-being of the baby was the prime concern of all mothers, irrespective of social background. However, inner city mothers made rational decisions to smoke and bottle feed to reduce the impact of stress and allow the mother much needed respite for the good of the entire family.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Differences in health-related quality of life in rural and urban veterans.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether disparities in health-related quality of life exist between veterans who live in rural settings and their suburban or urban counterparts. METHODS: We determined health-related quality-of-life scores (physical and mental health component summaries) for 767109 veterans who had used Veterans Health Administration services within the past 3 years. We used rural/urban commuting area codes to categorize veterans into rural, suburban, or urban residence. RESULTS: Health-related quality-of-life scores were significantly lower for veterans who lived in rural settings than for those who lived in suburban or urban settings. Rural veterans had significantly more physical health comorbidities, but fewer mental health comorbidities, than their suburban and urban counterparts. Rural-urban disparities persisted in all survey subscales, across regional delivery networks, and after we controlled for sociodemographic factors. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with their urban and suburban counterparts, veterans who live in a rural setting have worse health-related quality-of-life scores. Policymakers, within and outside the Veterans Health Administration, should anticipate greater health care demands from rural populations.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed2004

[Analysis of the levels of serum total calcium and inorganic phosphate of 2,342 children in Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes of serum total calcium (Ca) and inorganic phosphate (P) levels during children growth and related factors. METHODS: Using a stratified-multi-steps-cluster sampling method, we selected 2,342 healthy children aged 10-18 years from urban and suburban areas of Beijing from September 2001 to December 2001 to test the levels of serum Ca and P. Their meal status was also surveyed to analyse the correlation of the leves of serum Ca and P with sex, age, height, weight, and diet on statistic basis. RESULTS: The Ca levels of Beijing children were (2.39 +/- 0.12) mmol/L, which had a positive correlation with age, height, and weight (P < 0.01). The Ca levels of female children were somewhat higher than those of male [male, (2.38 +/- 0.12) mmol/L; female, (2.39 +/- 0.12) mmol/L; P < 0.05]. The Ca levels of urban children were significantly higher than those of suburban children [urban, (2.40 +/- 0.13) mmol/L; suburban, (2.37 +/- 0.10) mmol/L; P < 0.001]. The P levels of Beijing children were (1.39 +/- 0.18) mmol/L, which had a negative correlation with age, height, and weight (P < 0.01). The P levels of male children were significantly higher than those of female [male, (1.43 +/- 0.18) mmol/L; female, (1.36 +/- 0.17) mmol/L; P < 0.001]. The P levels of urban children were significant higher than those of suburban children [urban, (1.41 +/- 0.19) mmol/L; suburban, (1.38 +/- 0.16) mmol/L; P < 0.001]. The Ca levels of Beijing children had a negative correlation with P levels (r=-0.141, P < 0.01). [Ca] x [P] (mmol/L) of Beijing children were 3.32 +/- 0.44. The value of [Ca] x [P] reached peak by 3.45 +/- 0.46 when Beijing children were of 13-14 years old, and then the value declined with increasing age. CONCLUSION: The levels of serum Ca and P correlates with sex, age, growth, and diet. The level of serum Ca goes up while P goes down during the children growth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Death in the city. An American childhood tragedy.

OBJECTIVE: To look at trends in mortality and homicide rates in a specific metropolitan area, comparing the urban and suburban mortality trends. DESIGN: Descriptive study of mortality rates. Linear regression determined whether changes in mortality rates over time represented significant trends. SETTING: Industrial metropolitan area in the United States, population, 2,337,891. PARTICIPANTS: Pediatric deaths (1 to 18 years of age) in a 9-year period. Population characteristics: 36% black, 64% white, 50% each urban and suburban. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pediatric mortality rates for 1980 through 1988, grouped by urban vs suburban, age, gender, and race. Rates calculated using national census figures and plotted over time. RESULTS: There was a 50% increase in all-cause mortality in the urban pediatric population as compared with no change or a slight decline in the suburban and national populations. The increase was found in the black urban population. Homicide showed the largest increase (252%). Firearm-related homicides accounted for the majority of homicide deaths. CONCLUSIONS: (1) There were significant differences in mortality between the urban and suburban pediatric populations. (2) The increase in homicides, specifically firearm homicides, in the urban population accounted for the increase in overall mortality rates. (3) The increase in homicide rates was significant only for the 10- to 14-year-old males and the 15- to 18-year-old male and female portions of the black urban population. (4) Firearm homicides have become epidemic in the black urban population we studied.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Time spent by primary care practices on pediatric influenza vaccination visits: implications for universal influenza vaccination.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the time currently spent by primary care practice personnel, and the examination room occupancy time for childhood influenza vaccination visits, to assess the practicality of annual influenza vaccination of all preschool children. SETTING: Seven primary care practices serving one fourth of the children living in Rochester, NY. PATIENTS: Ninety-two children seen for influenza vaccination visits in the 2000-2001 vaccination season. METHODS: Using a standardized protocol, practice staff measured the time spent on check-in, nurse or physician examination, and the actual influenza vaccination process. Waiting and "hands-on" times were determined, as well as total visit and room occupancy times. Nonparametric tests and multivariable models were used to analyze the time spent for components of the visits and to compare time spent by different age groups and practice types (suburban or urban). RESULTS: The median duration of the influenza vaccination visit was 14 minutes (25th to 75th percentiles range, 9-25 minutes) across the 7 practices, with visits to urban practices being longer (22 minutes) than visits to suburban practices (9 minutes). Eighty percent of patient time involved waiting, primarily in examination rooms. The major components of influenza vaccination visits included waiting room time (4 minutes in suburban practices vs 8 minutes in urban practices; P<.01), and time in the examination room (5 minutes vs 14 minutes, respectively; P<.001), during which only 1 to 2 minutes (for both suburban and urban practices) were for hands-on vaccinations. Only 5% of visits were examined by a physician or nurse practitioner. Visit times did not vary by age. CONCLUSIONS: Although the personnel time for influenza vaccination visits was short, there was substantial patient waiting and long occupancy of examination rooms. If universal influenza vaccination is to be efficiently managed in primary care practices, it may be necessary to implement "vaccination clinics" or sessions in which large numbers of children are scheduled for influenza vaccinations at times when adequate rooms and dedicated nursing staff are available.

Child↗
PubMed1984

A regional poison control system. Effect on response to hypothetical poisonings.

Poisoning of young children frequently results in parents seeking help. Parents either telephone for poison treatment information or go directly to a physician's office, hospital clinic, or emergency room. To determine if a regional poison control system reduces the inappropriate use of medical treatment services, parents attending suburban and inner-city clinics were presented hypothetical pediatric poisoning episodes and asked how they would respond. Parents living in a state serviced by a regional poison information center (Massachusetts) telephoned for information significantly more often and consequently used medical treatment services 19% less than did parents living in a state with only local poison information centers (New Jersey). In both states, inner-city populations went for care whereas suburban populations called. Both inner-city and suburban populations responded to a regional poison center but to a different extent. More severe ingestions tended to increase the use of the regional center by the Massachusetts suburban population, whereas other populations tended to use even more direct services.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMedDate not supplied

What African-American middle school youth report about risk-taking behaviors.

INTRODUCTION: African-American youth represent the heaviest burden for HIV in all U.S. ethnic groups. The risk assessment was conducted with a group of suburban and urban African-American middle school children prior to the implementation of a faith-based substance abuse and HIV prevention program. The purpose of the study on risk-taking was to examine the sample's level and predictors of social adaptation and risk-taking processes and to examine their ideas about risk and risk-taking behavior. METHODS: A correlation design was used to determine relationships between risky behaviors and scores for risk taking and social adaptation. A descriptive design guided open-ended questions about risk and risk-taking behaviors. Data were collected in two youth ministries. The nonprobability sample consisted of 45 male and female subjects in the suburban pre-intervention group and 39 male and female subjects in the urban comparison group. RESULTS: Findings include a statistically significant relationship between male gender and alcohol use and risk-taking scores in the suburban pre-intervention group; in addition, sexual activity and drug use were predictive of higher risk-taking scores in the urban comparison group. The urban comparison group also reported significantly higher risk-taking behaviors than did the suburban group. DISCUSSION: Data from this study suggest the need for substance abuse and HIV prevention programs for middle school youth before problem behaviors become established.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

Treatment of morbid obesity in inner-city women.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the use of the very-low-calorie formula diet (VLCD) in the indigent population of Newark, NJ, with the goal of achieving 10% weight loss within a relatively short period of 10 weeks. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We accepted 131 morbidly obese indigent women into our study program. The study was limited to women only and the average starting weight was 292.3 +/- 5.9 lbs (+/- SE; 50.3 +/- 0.9 body mass index [kg/m(2)]). We used three treatment paradigms: total cost-free program for 10 weeks; cost-free, but compliance requirements; and a weekly charge of $25. The results obtained were compared with two control populations: women enrolled during the same recruitment period in a comparable suburban VLCD program and a historical control population of suburban women treated from 1985 through 1995. RESULTS: In group A (total cost-free), 79% of patients completed the 10-week program, but only 18% of patients achieved the goal of 10% weight loss. In group B when attendance and weight loss requirements were imposed, the dropout rate accelerated such that only 37% of patients completed the 10-week course, and 16% of the women were successful with their weight loss. In group C, imposing $25/wk financial outlay also accelerated dropouts but had little effect on weight loss success, which was 10% of the starting group. By comparison, the suburban patients and the historical control group exhibited 67% and 76% attendance rates after 10 weeks, and 33% and 55% success rates, respectively, in achieving the weight loss goal. DISCUSSION: We conclude that inner-city patients exhibit great interest in weight loss when financial barriers are removed. Successful weight loss was achieved in 10% to 18% of patients using the VLCD approach, approximately one-half of that obtained in affluent suburban women. Imposing financial or compliance restrictions to the inner-city patients served only to enhance dropouts.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The rural physician workforce in Florida: a survey of US- and foreign-born primary care physicians.

CONTEXT: To meet the challenge of primary care needs in rural areas, continuing assessment of the demographics, training, and future work plans of practicing primary care physicians is needed. PURPOSE: This study's goal was to assess key characteristics of primary care physicians practicing in rural, suburban, and urban communities in Florida. METHODS: Surveys were mailed to all of Florida's rural primary care physicians (n = 399) and a 10% sampling (n = 1236) of urban and suburban primary care physicians. FINDINGS: Responses from 1000 physicians (272 rural, 385 urban, 343 suburban) showed that rural physicians were more likely to have been raised in a rural area, foreign-born and trained, a National Health Service Corps member, or a J-1 visa waiver program participant. Rural physicians were more likely to have been exposed to rural medical practice or living in a rural environment during their medical school and residency training. Factors such as rural upbringing and medical school training did not predict future rural practice with foreign-born physicians. Overall, future plans for practice did not seem to differ between rural, urban, and suburban physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Recruiting and retaining doctors in rural areas can be best supported through a mission-driven selection of medical students with subsequent training in medical school and residency in rural health issues. National programs such as the National Health Service Corps and the J-1 visa waiver program also play important roles in rural physician selection and should be taken into account when planning for future rural health care needs.

Age Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and pulmonary function in never-smoking adults in Chongqing, China.

Chongquing is one of the most polluted cities in China. To study the respiratory health effects of air pollution for this city, the authors monitored the ambient levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in urban and suburban areas and performed pulmonary function testing on 1,075 adults 35 to 60 years of age who had never smoked and did not use coal stoves for cooking or heating. The mean concentration of SO2 in the urban areas (213 micrograms/m3) was twice as high as that in suburban areas (103 micrograms/m3). Mean PM2.5 levels were high in both urban (143 micrograms/m3) and suburban (139 micrograms/m3) areas. A generalized additive model was used to estimate the differences between the two areas in FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC%, with adjustment for potential confounding factors, including sex, age, height, education, passive smoking, and occupational exposures to dust, gas, or fumes. Estimated differences in FEV1 between the urban and suburban areas were 199 mL (SE = 50 mL) for men and 87 mL (SE = 30 mL) for women, both statistically significant. When the men and women were pooled, the estimated difference in FEV1 was 126 mL (SE = 27 mL). Similar trends were observed for FVC and FEV1/FVC%. After exclusion of 104 subjects with histories of occupational exposures to dust, gas, or fumes, the estimated difference was some-what smaller than that of the total samples. However, the effects on FEV1 and FEV1/FVC% remained significant for both men and women.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Soil transmitted nematodes in children in Buea Health District of Cameroon.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, intensity of infection and control of soil-transmitted nematodes in primary school pupils of urban, suburban and rural localities. SETTING: Buea Health District. DESIGN: A cross section experimental study. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and forty primary school children. INTERVENTION: Mebendazole treatment complemented with health education. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rate of soil-transmitted nematodes in the Buea Health District was 59.1%. The infection rate was significantly different in the urban, suburban and rural localities of the health district (P<0.01), with the rural area having the highest rate of infection. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most predominant parasite. The intensity of infection with the various helminth species was not significantly different between children of urban, suburban and rural localities. Mebendazole treatment significantly reduced the intensities of infection with Ascaris and Trichuris (P<0.05). The treatment, however, was ineffective against hookworm infection. Re-infection rate with Ascaris and Trichuris was slower in children who additionally received health education than in those who received only anthelminthic treatment. CONCLUSION: Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms are the predominant nematodes reported in children of urban, suburban and rural localities in the health district. Health education is advocated as a complement to chemotherapy in the control of soil-transmitted nematodes.

Antinematodal Agents↗
PubMed2003

Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and hyperemesis gravidarum.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible association between Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and hyperemesis gravidarum. STUDY DESIGN: We designed a case-control study to compare the prevalence of H pylori seropositivity in women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum to that in a control population recruited from 2 university-based clinics, 1 inner city and 1 suburban. Results were tested for statistical significance by chi 2, Student t test and unconditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-three subjects (30 inner city, 23 suburban) and 153 controls (75 inner city, 78 suburban) were enrolled. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of H pylori seropositivity between subjects and controls at either site (50% vs. 47%, P = .8 inner city; 17% vs. 13%, P = .6 suburban) or overall (36% vs. 29%, P = .39). In logistic regression analysis only race (African American) and age remained significantly associated with hyperemesis gravidarum, with adjusted odds ratios of 2.45 (95% CI 1.03-5.83) and .91 (95% CI .85-.98), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study found no association between hyperemesis gravidarum and H pylori seropositivity in 2 populations with disparate H pylori seroprevalence.

Adult↗