Knowledge, perceptions and behaviours amongst pregnant women in relation to child lead habits

ABSTRACT Childhood lead exposure is increasingly becoming a public health concern in developing and developed countries. Children are particularly vulnerable because of their developing body systems and mouthing behaviours. Recent studies have shown that lead exposure during pregnancy could cause harmful effects in unborn babies, subsequently causing ill health during later childhood. Lead poisoning prevention strategies should address exposures before, during and after pregnancy. To develop an appropriate framework for childhood lead exposure preventive strategies, the knowledge, perceptions, and behaviours of pregnant women in relation to child lead hazards had to be explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, perceptions and behaviours of pregnant women in relation to child lead hazards. To answer the research question, objectives were formulated which were to explore the knowledge of pregnant women regarding the sources and routes of exposure, the health effects of lead and mechanisms to protect children against lead exposure. The study objectives were achieved by administering an exploratory structured questionnaire. A non-probability convenience sample of 119 pregnant women was selected for data collection. Data was analysed using STATA 9.0 software. The results showed that only 13 participants (11%) had heard of lead before and the majority of participants (89%, n=107) had not heard of lead before. Four participants (31%, n=13) did not know if lead could be harmful to the health of children. Nine participants (69%, n=13) however, thought that lead could harm the health of children. Six participants (46%, n=13) did not know the health and social problems that lead exposures could cause in children. High risk factors in the living environment of the study population included informal housing, overcrowded living conditions, flaking and peeling paint, poor hand wash behaviour and smoking. The study concluded that there were low levels of knowledge, lacking perceptions and high-risk behaviours and practices amongst pregnant women in relation to child lead hazards. It further concluded that there were high-risk activities and conditions in the living environment of the studied population

Overcrowding and health in two impoverished suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract: Background: Rapid urbanization, unmatched by an associated supply of housing, has resulted in overcrowding in the cities of many developing countries, including in Johannesburg, South Africa. Household overcrowding has been associated with a range of ill-health outcomes, including acute respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases. The aim of this study was to describe the levels of household crowding, and examine associations with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms in selected two low-income neighbourhoods in Johannesburg. Methods: Questionnaire data from a panel study conducted over an 11-year period between 2006 and 2016 were extracted to conduct the analyses. Structured questionnaires, designed to collect information on housing conditions, socio-economic and health status were administered to adult representatives of households occupying the primary dwelling on pre-selected study sites. Results: Over the 11-year study period, levels of overcrowding remained unchanged. Around 57.6% of dwellings in the study neighbourhoods were determined to be overcrowded in relation to international guidelines. Results from the multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that crowded dwellings were associated with elevated levels of acute respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as fever/chills. Conclusion: Respondent perceptions varied from objective measures of overcrowding. Crowded dwellings were associated with elevated reports of acute respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as fever/chills

Overcrowding and health in two impoverished suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa

BACKGROUND : Rapid urbanization, unmatched by an associated supply of housing, has resulted in overcrowding in the cities of many developing countries, including in Johannesburg, South Africa. Household overcrowding has been associated with a range of ill-health outcomes, including acute respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases. The aim of this study was to describe the levels of household crowding, and examine associations with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms in selected two low-income neighbourhoods in Johannesburg. METHODS : Questionnaire data from a panel study conducted over an 11-year period between 2006 and 2016 were extracted to conduct the analyses. Structured questionnaires, designed to collect information on housing conditions, socio-economic and health status were administered to adult representatives of households occupying the primary dwelling on pre-selected study sites. RESULTS : Over the 11-year study period, levels of overcrowding remained unchanged. Around 57.6% of dwellings in the study neighbourhoods were determined to be overcrowded in relation to international guidelines. Results from the multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that crowded dwellings were associated with elevated levels of acute respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as fever/chills. CONCLUSION : Respondent perceptions varied from objective measures of overcrowding. Crowded dwellings were associated with elevated reports of acute respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as fever/chills.Additional file 1: Table S1. Univariate analyses of the degree of dwelling overcrowding by UN HABITAT definition, acute respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, fever/chills among the study participants in the study sites. Multiple regression analysis of dwelling overcrowding, acute respiratory and acute gastrointestinal symptoms, fever/chills. Table S2. Multiple regression analysis of dwelling overcrowding and wet cough among the participants. Table S3. Multiple regression analysis of dwelling overcrowding and dry cough among the participants. Table S4. Multiple regression analysis of dwelling overcrowding and runny/blocked nose among the participants. Table S5. Multiple regression analysis of dwelling overcrowding and diarrhea among the participants. Table S6. Multiple regression analysis of dwelling overcrowding and vomiting among the participants. Multiple regression analysis of dwelling overcrowding and fever/chills among the participants.The SAMRChttps://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.comam2020School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Elevated soil and blood lead levels with increasing residential proximity to a mine tailings facility in Soweto, South Africa

DATA AVAILABILITY : Data will be made available on request.Mining has long been associated with the release of a range of toxic metals including lead, elevated levels of which have been found in land surrounding mine dumps as far afield as Spain, India, Macedonia and Nigeria. Mining has been a key pillar of economic development in South Africa for around a century and a half, and has left a legacy of major environmental contamination, with the poorest experiencing the highest burden of exposure. The current study was undertaken to ascertain the concentrations of lead in soil and in the blood of adults and children residing at increasing distances from a cluster of large tailings facilities (MTFs) in greater Johannesburg, South Africa. Through a cross-sectional survey data on household characteristics were collected through a questionnaire survey, and supplemented with samples of soil from household gardens, together with blood samples from child-adult pairs from all households included in the study. Soil lead concentrations decreased significantly (median = 35.7 mg/kg closest to the mine tailings facility (MTF) and 8.6 mg/kg at the furthest point in the study site) with increasing distance from the MTF. Blood lead levels were highest in both adults (median = 3.0 μg/dL) and children (median = 4.0 μg/dL) who lived closest (≤500 m) to the MTF, and lowest (1.4 μg/dL in adults and 2.5 μg/dL in children) in those who lived furthest away (4–5 km). The study findings point to a need for greater emphasis on the precautionary principle in environmental health and for health impact assessments to inform decisions on planning, especially with regard to the location of human settlements relative to major, polluting development initiatives.The South African Medical Research Council.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenvhj2023School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Low Levels of Awareness of Lead Hazards among Pregnant Women in a High Risk—Johannesburg Neighbourhood

Background: The widespread use of lead and elevated risk of lead exposure in South African children justifies a need for high levels of awareness of the sources, exposure pathways, and measures to reduce this risk in children. This study aimed to determine the levels of knowledge of lead hazards among pregnant women in an area where children had already been established to be at a high risk of lead exposure and poisoning. Methods: Following informed consent, a structured questionnaire was administered to 119 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic services at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, west of central Johannesburg. Questions were asked about social, demographic and residential characteristics, as well as knowledge, perceptions, behaviours and practices in relation to child lead hazards. Conclusion: Overall awareness of the dangers of lead in pregnancy was low (11%). Amongst those who had heard of it, only 15% thought that lead could cause detrimental health effects. A consequence of this low level of awareness of lead hazards is a high potential for the participants and their children to unwittingly be exposed to environmental lead from various sources, thereby undermining preventative approaches

Environmental silica dust exposure and pulmonary tuberculosis in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract: Background: Occupational crystalline silica dust exposure is associated with an elevated risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). However, there is less evidence for an association with environmental silica dust exposure. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 310 participants was conducted in an exposed community living within 2 km of gold mine tailings and an unexposed population residing more than 10 km from the nearest gold mine tailing. Chest radiographs (n = 178) were read for PTB, past or current, by three readers. Results: Past or current PTB was radiologically identified in 14.4% (95%CI 9.2–21.8) in the exposed and 7.5% (95%CI 2.8–18.7) in the unexposed groups. Multivariate logistic regression models suggested that PTB prevalence was independently associated with exposure to second-hand smoke (OR = 8.13, 95%CI 1.16–57.22), a lower body mass index (OR = 0.88, 95%CI 0.80–0.98), previous diagnosis and treatment of PTB (OR = 8.98, 95%CI 1.98–40.34), and exposure to dust in the workplace from sand, construction, and/or mining industries (OR = 10.2, 95%CI 2.10–50.11). Conclusion: We found no association between PTB and environmental exposure to gold mine tailing dust. However, workplace silica dust exposure is a significant risk factor for PTB in South Africa, and PTB patients of working age should be screened for silica exposure