Search

This epidemiological study was carried out to evaluate the possible association between occupational exposure to ethylenebisdithiocarbamates (EDBC) and allergy. The study was conducted in four countries in the European Union: The Netherlands, Finland, Italy and Bulgaria. A total of 248 workers exposed to EDBC and 231 non-occupationally exposed subjects entered the study. Exposure to EDBC was measured as urinary ethylenethiourea (ETU) in urinary samples collected at baseline and after 30 days of exposure. Several effect parameters were evaluated including questionnaire data on allergy, Phadiatop, a general allergy test, and specific IgE parameters. These data were also collected at baseline and after 30 days of exposure. Cross-sectional as well as longitudinal comparisons were made, adjusted for potential confounding factors. No association was found between exposure status, EDBC levels and allergic contact dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, food allergy or atopy as measured by the Phadiatop. The prevalence of skin irritation was elevated in the Dutch field study only and is more likely a result of plant contact rather than EDBC exposure. Occupational exposure to sunlight was noted to have a protective effect on atopy in terms of IgE positivity. We conclude that the EDBC exposure levels experienced in our field study are not associated with increased prevalence of allergic symptoms or allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purposes of this study were: 1) to explore the psychometric properties of the HAD Scale in the working population, 2) to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression on two severity levels among employees, and 3) to examine whether psychosocial work-related determinants for both categories of mental health problems may differ.Methods: Data were taken from 7482 employees participating in the epidemiological Maastricht Cohort Study on Fatigue at Work. Anxiety and depression were measured with the easy to administer self-report Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale, while several questionnaires and self-formulated questions were used to measure psychosocial work-related characteristics.Results: A principal component analysis indicated that the HAD Scale enables measuring anxiety and depression as separate constructs among employees. On a subclinical level, prevalences of anxiety and depression were both considerable: anxiety prevalences were 8.2 % for males and 10 % for females, and depression prevalences were 7.1% for males and 6.2% for females. Regarding self-reported psychosocial work characteristics, in multivariate regression analyses partly differential cross-sectional associations were found for anxiety and depression.Conclusions: The results indicate that subclinical anxiety and depression are considerable in the working population and provide suggestive evidence that diagnosing, preventing or managing anxiety and depression among employees may require focusing on different aspects of their psychosocial work environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the validity of the checklist individual strength questionnaire (CIS) in the working population. This 20 item self reported questionnaire has often been used in patients with chronic fatigue. To date, no research has focused on the validity of the CIS in occupational groups.Methods: To evaluate the discriminant validity the CIS was filled out by five groups of employees with expected differences in fatigue. The convergent validity was evaluated by comparing the results of the CIS with the results of three related measures: measured unidimensional fatigue, burnout, and need for recovery.Results: The CIS was able to discriminate between fatigued and non-fatigued employees in occupational groups. The expected agreement between the results of the CIS and related measures was confirmed.Conclusions: The CIS seems to be an appropriate instrument for measuring fatigue in the working population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to investigate the existence of a 'specific' neurotoxic effect due to long-term exposure to organic solvents. A comparison was made regarding diagnoses, symptoms and other relevant medical data between persons receiving a disability pension on the basis of a neuropsychiatric disorder selected from an exposed (painters) and non-exposed (construction workers) trade organization. Information was collected from their medical files at the occupational health department. Concerning diagnoses and symptoms, no significant differences were found between exposed and non-exposed patients. No indications were found for the existence of a 'typical' complex of symptoms associated with exposure to organic solvents among painters in The Netherlands. The number of reported symptoms was not related to the duration of exposure, thus lending no support for a dose-effect relationship. If a neurotoxic effect does exist among Dutch painters, it is of a non-specific type and not clearly distinguishable from other mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate possible interregional differences in respiratory health in primary school children living in two different towns of the Netherlands, Melick/Herkenbosch Asenray (MHA) ( n=511) and Leek (LK) ( n=612). The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was determined by means of a questionnaire and respiratory impedance was measured using the forced oscillation technique (FOT). Respiratory symptoms were reported consistently more often in MHA than in LK; chronic cough (17% MHA vs 5% LK), shortness of breath (15% vs 8%), wheeze (16% vs 13%) and attacks of shortness of breath with wheeze (10% vs 7%). However, doctor-diagnosed asthma was reported as 7% in MHA and 6% in LK. The prevalence rates expressed as odds ratios of MHA versus LK were all >1 even when adjusted for known indoor environmental factors. Living in MHA appeared to be a statistically significant determinant of the reported symptom prevalence. Furthermore, the child's age, maternal smoking (> 10 cigarettes/day), and having had domestic animals were positively associated with one or more respiratory symptoms. Calculating adjusted differences in respiratory impedance between the regions resulted in a small but statistically significant difference in resonant frequency, LK being slightly at a disadvantage. Measured outdoor air pollution levels of SO, NO, O and PM were in general higher in MHA. In both regions however, the average levels remained below the present WHO guidelines, except for NO in MHA where the guideline was slightly exceeded. Conclusion: In this study prevalence rates of key symptoms of asthma were found to be significantly higher in children living in one region of the Netherlands (MHA) compared to another (LK). Known (indoor) risk factors for respiratory disease could not explain the observed differences in symptom prevalence between the regions. However, statistically but not clinically significant interregional differences in respiratory impedance values were found between children living in MHA and children living in LK. Further research will have to incorporate techniques to evaluate the potential influence of information bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies in recent years have raised the possibility that exposure to extreme low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields may be hazardous to human health, in particular by the promotion or initiation of leukaemia and other cancers. To determine if this exposure creates a long-term hazard to the public, the mortality of a group of people identified as having lived in an urban quarter of Maastricht in which two 150 kiloVolt (kV) powerlines and one transformer substation are located was investigated. Using the Dutch population registry it was possible to identify retrospectively 3549 inhabitants of the quarter who lived there for at least 5 years between 1956 and 1981. Of these 1552 study subjects lived within 100 m of the electricity transmission equipment and were exposed to magnetic field intensity of 1.0–11.0 milliGauss. The overall standardized mortality ratio and cancer mortality ratios were either not or only slightly elevated. The study does not support previously reported associations of exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields with leukaemia, brain cancer and breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]