Keeping Each Other Safe: Who Checks on Their Neighbors During Weather Extremes in Summer and Winter?

Objective: Weather extremes are increasing with climate change and associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Promotion of social connections is an emerging area of research and practice for risk reduction during weather extremes. This study examines the practice of checking on neighbors during extreme summer heat and extreme winter weather. Objectives are to (1) describe the extent of neighbor checking during these extremes, and (2) examine factors associated with neighbor checking. Methods: We analyze survey data (n = 442) from a primarily low- and moderate- income study sample in a Southeastern U.S. city, using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: About 17.6% of participants checked on neighbors during extreme summer heat, and 25.2% did so during extreme winter weather. Being middle or older aged and having more adverse physical health impacts were positively associated with neighbor checking, for both extremes. For winter only, having less education was positively associated with neighbor checking. Conclusions: Community-based partnerships for reducing risk during weather extremes may consider people who are older or have experienced their own adverse health impacts as initial target groups for promoting neighbor checking. Future research should also examine the motivations for, details about, and impacts of neighbor checking in greater depth

Environment and Health in Nigeria: Capacity and research Development

In Africa, population growth, urbanization, and climate change are environmental health challenges of emerging concern. These challenges intersect in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Because of gaps in research capacity, data collection, and research funding, data are lacking on extreme weather’s effects on health there. This brief describes a project to promote the development of collaborative capacity and research in environmental epidemiology in Nigeria. The project will also produce new knowledge on the physical and mental health impacts of weather extremes among residents of Nigeria’s coastal cities, including Lagos, Africa’s most populous city. The project is designed to improve public health by advancing knowledge about the nature and magnitude of environmental health hazards in Nigeria

Long-term employment outcomes among female cancer survivors

Advances in early detection and treatment have led to a growing population of female cancer survivors, many of whom are of working age. We examined the relationship between cancer and long-term (\u3e5 years) employment outcomes in a nationally representative sample of working-age women in the United States. Data from nine waves of the Health and Retirement Study were used to examine employment status and weekly hours worked among cancer survivors

Mental Health and Weather Extremes in a Southeastern U.S. City: Exploring Group Differences by Race

The connection between mental health and weather extremes is a public health concern, but less studied to date than physical health. This exploratory study examines the mental health impacts of two kinds of weather extremes increasingly linked to climate change—summer heat waves and extreme winter weather—in a low-to middle-income population in the Southeastern U.S. The distribution of mental health impacts, and potential pathways to them, are examined with a focus on race. Data are from a random-sample survey of 426 participants and are analyzed with bivariate statistics and path analysis. Self-reported mental health impacts, in both seasons, were common in our study, with White participants tending to report worse impacts than participants who identified with other racial groups. Physical health had direct effects on mental health across several models, overall and by racial group. For summer heat waves, concern about climate change and social cohesion had direct and indirect effects, respectively, on mental health in White participants only. For extreme winter weather, preparedness had a direct negative effect on mental health in White, but not Black, participants. Results suggest that there may be racial differences in the influence of human and social capital factors on mental health related to weather extremes, warranting further study of this critical topic and with larger racial subgroup samples

Asthma among Staten Island fresh kills landfill and barge workers following the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks

Background: Although airborne respiratory irritants at the World Trade Center (WTC) site have been associated with asthma among WTC Ground Zero workers, little is known about asthma associated with work at the Staten Island landfill or barges. Methods: To evaluate the risk of asthma first diagnosed among Staten Island landfill and barge workers, we conducted a survey and multivariable logistic regression analysis regarding the association between Staten Island landfill and barge-related work exposures and the onset of post-9/11 asthma. Results: Asthma newly diagnosed between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2004 was reported by 100/1,836 (5.4%) enrollees. Jobs involving sifting, digging, welding, and steel cutting, enrollees with high landfill/barge exposure index scores or who were police and sanitation workers, and enrollees with probable posttraumatic stress disorder all had increased odds ratios for new-onset asthma. Conclusions: Post-9/11 asthma cumulative incidence among Staten Island landfill/barge workers was similar to that of other WTC disaster rescue and recovery workers

Co-occurring Lower Respiratory Symptoms and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 5 to 6 Years After the World Trade Center Terrorist Attack

Objectives. We have described the epidemiology of co-occurring lower respiratory symptoms (LRS) and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 5 to 6 years after exposure to the 9/11 disaster. Methods. We analyzed residents, office workers, and passersby (n = 16 363) in the World Trade Center Health Registry. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined patterns of reported respiratory symptoms, treatment sought for symptoms, diagnosed respiratory conditions, mental health comorbidities, quality of life, and unmet health care needs in relation to comorbidity. Results. Among individuals with either LRS or PTSD, 24.6% had both conditions. The odds of comorbidity was significantly higher among those with more severe 9/11 exposures. Independent of 9/11 exposures, participants with LRS had 4 times the odds of those without it of meeting criteria for PTSD, and those with PTSD had 4 times the odds of those without it of meeting criteria for LRS. Participants with comorbidity had worse quality of life and more unmet mental health care needs than did all other outcome groups. Conclusions. Respiratory and mental illness are closely linked in individuals exposed to 9/11 and should be considered jointly in public health outreach and treatment program

Asthma and posttraumatic stress symptoms 5 to 6 years following exposure to the World Trade Center terrorist attack

Context. The World Trade Center Health Registry provides a unique opportunity to examine long-term health effects of a large-scale disaster. Objective. To examine risk factors for new asthma diagnoses and event-related posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among exposed adults 5 to 6 years following exposure to the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attack. Design, Setting, and Participants. Longitudinal cohort study with wave 1 (W1) enrollment of 71 437 adults in 2003-2004, including rescue/recovery worker, lower Manhattan resident, lower Manhattan office worker, and passersby eligibility groups; 46 322 adults (68%) completed the wave 2 (W2) survey in 2006-2007. Main Outcome Measures. Self-reported diagnosed asthma following September 11; event-related current PTS symptoms indicative of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), assessed using the PTSD Checklist (cutoff score >= 44). Results. Of W2 participants with no stated asthma history, 10.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.9%-10.5%) reported new asthma diagnoses post-event. Intense dust cloud exposure on September 11 was a major contributor to new asthma diagnoses for all eligibility groups: for example, 19.1% vs 9.6% in those without exposure among rescue/recovery workers (adjusted odds ratio, 1.5 [95% CI, 1.4-1.7]). Asthma risk was highest among rescue/recovery workers on the WTC pile on September 11 (20.5% [95% CI, 19.0%-22.0%]). Persistent risks included working longer at the WTC site, not evacuating homes, and experiencing a heavy layer of dust in home or office. Of participants with no PTSD history, 23.8% (95% CI, 23.4%-24.2%) reported PTS symptoms at either W1(14.3%) orW2(19.1%). Nearly 10% (9.6% [95% CI, 9.3%-9.8%]) had PTS symptoms at both surveys, 4.7% (95% CI, 4.5%-4.9%) had PTS symptoms at W1 only, and 9.5% (95% CI, 9.3%-9.8%) had PTS symptoms at W2 only. At W2, passersby had the highest rate of PTS symptoms (23.2% [95% CI, 21.4%-25.0%]). Event-related loss of spouse or job was associated with PTS symptoms at W2. Conclusion. Acute and prolonged exposures were both associated with a large burden of asthma and PTS symptoms 5 to 6 years after the September 11 WTC attack

9/11-Related Experiences and Tasks of Landfill and Barge Workers: Qualitative Analysis from the World Trade Center Health Registry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Few studies have documented the experiences of individuals who participated in the recovery and cleanup efforts at the World Trade Center Recovery Operation at Fresh Kills Landfill, on debris loading piers, and on transport barges after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of workers and volunteers from the World Trade Center Health Registry. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the narratives.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty workers and volunteers were interviewed. They described the transport of debris to the Landfill via barges, the tasks and responsibilities associated with their post-9/11 work at the Landfill, and their reflections on their post-9/11 experiences. Tasks included sorting through debris, recovering human remains, searching for evidence from the terrorist attacks, and providing food and counseling services. Exposures mentioned included dust, fumes, and odors. Eight years after the World Trade Center disaster, workers expressed frustration about poor risk communication during recovery and cleanup work. Though proud of their contributions in the months after 9/11, some participants were concerned about long-term health outcomes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This qualitative study provided unique insight into the experiences, exposures, and concerns of understudied groups of 9/11 recovery and cleanup workers. The findings are being used to inform the development of subsequent World Trade Center Health Registry exposure and health assessments.</p

The global environmental injustice of fast fashion

Abstract Fast fashion, inexpensive and widely available of-the-moment garments, has changed the way people buy and dispose of clothing. By selling large quantities of clothing at cheap prices, fast fashion has emerged as a dominant business model, causing garment consumption to skyrocket. While this transition is sometimes heralded as the “democratization” of fashion in which the latest styles are available to all classes of consumers, the human and environmental health risks associated with inexpensive clothing are hidden throughout the lifecycle of each garment. From the growth of water-intensive cotton, to the release of untreated dyes into local water sources, to worker’s low wages and poor working conditions; the environmental and social costs involved in textile manufacturing are widespread. In this paper, we posit that negative externalities at each step of the fast fashion supply chain have created a global environmental justice dilemma. While fast fashion offers consumers an opportunity to buy more clothes for less, those who work in or live near textile manufacturing facilities bear a disproportionate burden of environmental health hazards. Furthermore, increased consumption patterns have also created millions of tons of textile waste in landfills and unregulated settings. This is particularly applicable to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) as much of this waste ends up in second-hand clothing markets. These LMICs often lack the supports and resources necessary to develop and enforce environmental and occupational safeguards to protect human health. We discuss the role of industry, policymakers, consumers, and scientists in promoting sustainable production and ethical consumption in an equitable manner