Follow-up study on lead exposure in children living in a smelter community in northern Mexico

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To study the changes of children lead exposure in the city of Torreon during the last five years, after environmental and public health interventions, using the timeline of lead in blood concentration as the biomarker of exposure and its relation to lead in soil concentrations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This follow-up study started in 2001 and consisted of 232 children living in nine neighborhoods in Torreon. Children were tested at 0, 6, 12 and 60 months. Lead in blood concentrations, Hemoglobin, Zinc-Protoporphyrin, anthropometric measures and socioeconomic status questionnaire was supplied to the parents.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median and range of lead in blood concentrations obtained at 0, 6, 12, 60 months were: 10.12 μg/dl (1.9 - 43.8), 8.75 μg/dl (1.85 - 41.45), 8.4 μg/dl (1.7 - 35.8) and 4.4 μg/dl (1.3 - 30.3), respectively. The decrease of lead in blood levels was significantly related to ages 0, 6, 12 and 60 months of the follow-up study. The timeline of B-Pb was associated with the timeline of lead in soil concentrations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>B-Pb levels have significantly decreased in the group of children studied. This could be explained by a) environmental interventions by authorities and the smelter companies, b) normal changes in hygienic habits as children age and c) lead redistribution from blood to hard tissues.</p

Conducta alimentaria e imagen corporal en una muestra de adolescentes de Sevilla Eating behaviour and body image in a sample of adolescents from Sevilla

Objetivo: En el presente trabajo se analiza la presencia de alteraciones alimentarias y la influencia que sobre ellas puede tener el grado de insatisfacción corporal entre los adolescentes. Método: Aplicando el Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40), el Sick Control On Fat Food (SCOFF) y la subescala de insatisfacción corporal (BD) del Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2) a 841 estudiantes, de 12 a 19 años, se analizaron las conductas alimentarias de riesgo, se estudiaron las diferencias en función del sexo y la edad y se analizó la relación de dichas conductas con el grado de insatisfacción corporal. Resultados y discusión: El 21,29% tuvo puntuaciones significativas en el SCOFF y el 7,13% en el EAT-40. Por sexos, hubo diferencias significativas (13,93% y 3,23% en SCOFF y EAT-40 para los varones, 29,38% y 10,70% para las mujeres). Con respecto a datos anteriores, se observa un descenso del riesgo en las mujeres y un incremento en los varones. Se observó una mayor insatisfacción corporal en las chicas de 12 a 17 años, si bien la diferencia entre chicas y chicos, en alteraciones alimentarias, se centra en los 14-16 años. La insatisfacción corporal correlacionó positiva y significativamente con el Índice de Masa Corporal, EAT-40 y SCOFF. Para implantar programas de prevención primaria en la población adolescente, es necesario conocer las conductas alimentarias de riesgo y el grado de insatisfacción coporal, para poder plantear específicamente las intervenciones a llevar a cabo, involucrando al profesorado como agente primario de trabajo en el contexto escolar.Objective: This study examined the presence of disordered eating behaviours and the influence that on them could have the degree of body dissatisfaction among adolescents. Method: By the Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40), the Sick Control On Fat Food (SCOFF) and the subscale of body dissatisfaction (BD) of the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2) a total of 841 students, aged 12-19, were studied. Eating behaviours, sex and age differences, and eating attitudes and behaviours related to the degree of body dissatisfaction were analized. Results: We found that 21,29% had significant punctuations in the SCOFF and 7,13% in the EAT-40. There were significant sex-differences (13,93% and 3,23% in SCOFF and EAT-40 for males, 29,38% and 10,70% for women). With regard to previous studies, a decrease of the risk is observed in women and an increase in males. Major body dissatisfaction was observed among the 12 to 17-year-old girls, though sex-differences in eating alterations, can be mostly found between the ages of 14 and 16. Body dissatisfaction correlated positively and significantly to Body Mass Index, EAT-40 and SCOFF. Conclusion: In order to implement primary programs in the adolescent population it is necessary to explore the eating behaviours of risky and the degree of body dissatisfaction to be able to raise specifically the interventions to be carried out, involving teachers as primary agents for the work in the school context