Integrating Epidemiology, Education, and Organizing for Environmental Justice: Community Health Effects of Industrial Hog Operations

The environmental justice movement has stimulated community-driven research about the living and working conditions of people of color and low-income communities. We describe an epidemiological study designed to link research with community education and organizing for social justice. In eastern North Carolina, high-density industrial swine production occurs in communities of low-income people and people of color. We investigated relationships between the resulting pollution and the health and quality of life of the hog operations’ neighbors. A repeat-measures longitudinal design, community involvement in data collection, and integration of qualitative and quantitative research methods helped promote data quality while providing opportunities for community education and organizing. Research could affect policy through its findings and its mobilization of communities

Air Pollution and Odor in Communities Near Industrial Swine Operations

BackgroundOdors can affect health and quality of life. Industrialized animal agriculture creates odorant compounds that are components of a mixture of agents that could trigger symptoms reported by neighbors of livestock operations.ObjectiveWe quantified swine odor episodes reported by neighbors and the relationships of these episodes with environmental measurements.MethodsBetween September 2003 and September 2005, 101 nonsmoking volunteers living within 1.5 mi of industrial swine operations in 16 neighborhoods in eastern North Carolina completed twice-daily odor diaries for approximately 2 weeks. Meteorological conditions, hydrogen sulfide, and particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) were monitored in each neighborhood. We used mixed models to partition odor variance within and between people and between neighborhoods, and to quantify relationships between environmental factors and odor.ResultsParticipants reported 1,655 episodes of swine odor. In nine neighborhoods, odor was reported on more than half of study-days. Odor ratings were related to temperature, PM10, and semivolatile PM10 in standard but not mixed models. In mixed models, odor increased 0.15 ± 0.05 units (mean ± SE) for a 1-ppb increase in H2S, and 0.45 ± 0.14 units for a 10-μg/m3 increase in PM10 at wind speeds > 6.75 miles per hour. The odds of reporting a change in daily activities due to odor increased 62% for each unit increase in average odor during the prior 12 hr (t-value = 7.17).ConclusionsThis study indicates that malodor from swine operations is commonly present in these communities and that the odors reported by neighbors are related to objective environmental measurements and interruption of activities of daily life

In the name of modernity: Smoking away health, wealth, and womanhood in gecekondu

We explore factors that affect smoking behavior and perception of women who have lived in gecekondu ("built-over-night") neighborhoods. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with a convenience sample fifty (50) women who were married, smoked, lived in gecekondu neighborhoods in Yukseltepe near Ankara, from 2007 to 2008. Women were ages 20 to 60 years and had lived in gecekondu for at least 15 years. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques and open coding followed by axial coding. Multiple themes emerged that were coded and classified. We highlight four classes of "smoking as an affective response, "social ties as safeguard, " "social isolation as risk," and "media influence" themes and discuss their influence on gecekondu women's smoking behavior. We conclude that effective health promotion programs to address smoking among these women must be rooted in socio-ecological principles have dimensions that go well beyond individual-based behavior change interventions

Health Survey Instrument Development Through a Community-Based Participatory Research Approach:Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II) and Brazilian Immigrants in Greater Boston

Brazilians are among the fastest growing segment of immigrant populations in several states of the United States. Culturally appropriate and validated health survey instruments do not exist to adequately assess the health needs of this population. Through a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, a cross-cultural pilot project was conducted to develop and test a culturally-adapted Brazilian Portuguese-version of the health-promoting lifestyle profile II (HPLP-II) instrument with a convenience sample of 60 bilingual and bicultural Brazilian immigrants using a combined quasi experimental and focus group design. The project evaluated HPLP-II instrument\u27s psychometric properties of equivalency, reliability, and score distribution in Portuguese and English. This pilot test supports equivalency, consistency, and reliability of the English and culturally-adapted Brazilian Portuguese versions of the instrument. CBPR is an effective approach in health instrument development. This instrument is an important first step in designing other appropriate instruments to explore health conditions of Brazilian immigrants in the U.S.

Deficit of auditory temporal processing in children with dyslexia-dysgraphia

Background and Aim: Auditory temporal processing reveals an important aspect of auditory performance, in which a deficit can prevent the child from speaking, language learning and reading. Temporal resolution, which is a subgroup of temporal processing, can be evaluated by gap-in-noise detection test. Regarding the relation of auditory temporal processing deficits and phonologic disorder of children with dyslexia-dysgraphia, the aim of this study was to evaluate these children with the gap-in-noise (GIN) test.Methods: The gap-in-noise test was performed on 28 normal and 24 dyslexic-dysgraphic children, at the age of 11-12 years old. Mean approximate threshold and percent of corrected answers were compared between the groups.Results: The mean approximate threshold and percent of corrected answers of the right and left ear had no significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). The mean approximate threshold of children with dyslexia-dysgraphia (6.97 ms, SD=1.09) was significantly (p<0.001) more than that of the normal group (5.05 ms, SD=0.92). The mean related frequency of corrected answers (58.05, SD=4.98%) was less than normal group (69.97, SD=7.16%) (p<0.001).Conclusion: Abnormal temporal resolution was found in children with dyslexia-dysgraphia based on gap-in-noise test. While the brainstem and auditory cortex are responsible for auditory temporal processing, probably the structural and functional differences of these areas in normal and dyslexic-dysgraphic children lead to abnormal coding of auditory temporal information. As a result, auditory temporal processing is inevitable

Follicle stimulating hormone increases spermatogonial stem cell colonization during in vitro co - culture

The complex process of spermatogenesis is regulated by various factors. Studies onspermatogonial stem cells(SCCs)have provided very important tool to improve herd geneticand different field. 0.2 to 0.3 percent of total cells of seminiferous tubules is consist ofspermatogonial stem cells. To investigate and biomanipulation of these cells, proliferationand viability rate of cells should be increasedin vitro, at first. Follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) has been suggested to play a determinant role in the survival of germ cells in additionto increasing spermatogonial proliferation. In this study, thein vitroeffects ofFSHonspermatogonial cell colony formation were investigated. Sertoli and spermatogonial cellswere isolated from 3-5 months old calves. The identity of theSertoli cells and spermatogonialstem cells were confirmed through immunocytochemistry and colony morphology,respectively. Co-cultured Sertoli and spermatogonial cells were treatedwithFSHin differentdose of10, 20 and 40 IU mL-1FSH, before colony assay.Results indicated that,FSHincreasedin vitrocolonization of spermatogonial cells in comparison with control group. In conclusion,usingFSHprovided proper bovine spermatogonial stem cell culture medium forin vitrostudy of these cells