Re: Pierce et al. Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione Exposures Associated with Cigarette Smoking: Implications for Risk Assessment of Food and Flavoring Workers Crit Rev Toxicol, 2014; 44(5): 420-435

We were greatly dismayed by Pierce et al.’ s report on the associations between exposure to Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione and cigarette smoking (Pierce et al. 2014). It stated that “ Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione exposures from cigarette smoking far exceed occupational exposures for most food/flavoring workers who smoke. ” Based on this finding, the authors suggested that “ previous claims of a significant exposure – response relationship between diacetyl inhalation and respiratory disease in food/flavoring workers were confounded because none of the investigations considered or quantified the non-occupational diacetyl exposure from cigarette smoke, yet all the cohorts evaluated had considerable smoking histories.

United Airways Disease Among Florists

Previously we observed an excess risk for occupational asthma among florists with rhinitis. To further evaluate the link between upper and lower airways, we investigated united airways disease in the same occupational group. Occupational history, symptoms and atopy were investigated among 128 florists. Age-, smoking-, and gender-adjusted risks were calculated using logistic regression models comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. The prevalence of work-related rhinitis symptoms was 13.3%, conjunctivitis symptoms and asthma-like symptoms were 14.1%. We observed an excess risk of work-related asthma symptoms among florists with work-related conjunctivitis (OR: 8.5, 95% CI: 2.4-29.9) and rhinitis (OR: 13.1, 95% CI: 3.0- 58.0). Florists with positive allergen skin test for flower mix were 13.0 times more likely to have work-related rhinitis and 12.5 times more likely to have work-related conjunctivitis. The observed relationship between work-related asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis is supportive of the concept of the united airways disease

Reply to Letter to the Editor, “Response to Medical Students’ Attitudes towards Female Sex Workers

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Caribbean Heat Threatens Health, Well-Being, and the Future of Humanity

Climate change has substantial impacts on public health and safety, disease risks and the provision of health care, with the poor being particularly disadvantaged. Management of the associated health risks and changing health service requirements requires adequate responses at local levels. Health-care providers are central to these responses. While climate change raises ethical questions about its causes, impacts and social justice, medicine and bioethics typically focus on individual patients and research participants rather than these broader issues. We broaden this focus by examining awareness among health-care providers in the Caribbean region, where geographic and socioeconomic features pose particular vulnerabilities to climate change. In focus groups, Caribbean providers described rises in mosquito-borne, flood-related, heat-related, respiratory and mental illnesses, and attributed these to local impacts of climate change. Their discussions showed that the significance of these impacts differs in different Caribbean nations, raising policy and social justice questions. Bioethics and public health ethics are situated to frame, inform and initiate public and policy dialog about values and scientific evidence associated with climate change. We urge readers to initiate such dialog within their own institutions about the context-dependent nature of the burdens of climate change, and values and policies that permit it to worsen

Interprofessional Collaboration Between Dental Hygienists and Registered Nurses: The Time is Overdue

The recent publication of an article that is listed as a Critical Issue in the Journal of Dental Hygiene deserves strong letters of endorsement from nursing professionals. It has been twelve years since the Institute of Medicine called for interprofessional education to be adopted by the health professional education community. The increasing numbers of dentists in dental programs and the decreasing numbers of physicians in medical programs lend itself for dentists and physicians to be supportive of such interprofessional collaborations

Development of Occupational Health Measures for the National Health Security Preparedness Index

[First paragraph] The 2001 World Trade Center and 2005 Hurricane disasters, and the 2014 Ebola outbreak were major events that tasked the United States’ public health emergency preparedness and response apparatus. The health and economic cost of these events is huge including over 4000 deaths and damages to infrastructure worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Unfortunately, the U.S. labor force was disproportionately affected (1–4). Similar public health impact of other disasters on workers has also been reported. In the immediate aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, for instance, approximately 75% of those who developed acute health effects and sought medical care were clean-up workers (5)

Medical Student\u27s Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Female Sex Workers and Their Occupational Risk Factors

Background: The tendency for female sex workers to seek health care is highly influenced by physician attitudes and behavior. By identifying medical students\u27 attitudes toward female sex workers and assessing their knowledge of barriers to seeking care, we can focus medical training and advocacy efforts to increase access to care and improve public health outcomes. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, medical students from various countries were invited to participate in an online survey with close-ended questions and Likert scale statements. Responses were quantified and knowledge and attitude scores were assigned based on knowledge of barriers to seeking care and agreement with positive and negative attitude statements. Results: A total of 292 medical students from 56 countries completed the survey, of whom 98.3% agreed that it will be their job to provide treatment to patients regardless of occupation. Self-identified religious students conveyed more negative attitudes toward female sex workers compared to those who did not identify themselves as religious (p\u3c0.001). Students intending to practice in countries where prostitution is legal conveyed more positive attitudes compared to those intending to practice in countries where prostitution is illegal (p\u3c0.001). Conclusion: Medical students largely agreed on the importance of providing care to female sex workers as a vulnerable group. In addition to addressing knowledge gaps in medical education, more localized studies are needed to understand the religious and legal influences on attitudes toward female sex workers. Such information can help focus the efforts in both medical education and communication training to achieve the desired behavioral impacts, reconciling the future generations of health care providers with the needs of female sex workers

Well-Being and Mental Health Impact of Household Flooding in Guyana, the Caribbean

Guyana has annually experienced excessive rainfall and flooding since 2005. This study investigated the general well-being and mental health problems among occupants of households affected by the December 2008 flooding in Guyana. A cross-sectional study design was used to administer validated questionnaires, which included sections on demographics, environmental exposure, general health, and personal behavior. The response rate to the survey was 70% (130/185). The findings indicate an increased self-reported poor health for study participants who smelled moldy odors inside of their home (OR: 4.1, 95% CI: 2.0‐12.0) and for individuals who had mold or mildew inside of their homes (OR: 3.0, 95% CI: 1.2‐7.5). Individuals whose homes had flooded previously were also shown to be slightly more at risk for experiencing diminished interest in daily activities (OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 0.5‐2.9) as well as diminished involvement in social activities (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.7‐4.8). Also, participants who had their houses previously flooded reported an increased difficulty in concentrating (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 0.9‐6.4). Flooding might be a possible risk factor for well-being and mental health problems among the occupants of affected households

An Exploratory Study of Older Adults’ Emotions to Social Isolation and Their Coping Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults are advised to remain in their homes and personal spaces since they are at greater risk for COVID-19 related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. Health professionals and caregivers are concerned that preventative measures, especially social isolation, may have long-term psychological and age-related effects among older adults. A survey prepared by the Center for Global Health at Old Dominion University, in collaboration with Healthy Chesapeake Inc., assessed social isolation, associated emotions, and daily coping activities of older adults in Chesapeake, Virginia. The target population included senior residents of the Cambridge Square Apartments, where Healthy Chesapeake Inc. offers community programs that encourage social connection and community involvement. This exploratory study examined how older adults in this environment perceived social isolation, their associated emotions, and daily coping activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 37 residents responded to the survey, of which 10.81% were males, and 89.19% were females. The results showed that respondents remained socially connected despite their limitations. Even though respondents listed various coping activities, television watching and reading were the highest recorded daily activities among older adults who had feelings of isolation or loneliness. Therefore, everyday coping activities, especially television watching, can be used to provide fun and educational activities that promote better health outcomes and longevity among older adults.https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gradposters2021_healthsciences/1013/thumbnail.jp