Blood Lead Levels and Risk Factors for Lead Exposure in a Pediatric Population in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Although lead recycling activities are a known risk factor for elevated blood levels in South East Asia, little is known regarding the prevalence of and risk factors for elevated blood lead levels (BLL) among the general pediatric population in Vietnam. This study is a cross-sectional evaluation of 311 children from Children's Hospital #2 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Capillary blood lead testing was performed using the LeadCare II.

Improving human health outcomes with a low-cost intervention to reduce exposures from lead acid battery recycling: Dong Mai, Vietnam.

This study details the first comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of a soil lead mitigation project in Dong Mai village, Vietnam. The village's population had been subject to severe lead poisoning for at least a decade as a result of informal Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling. Between July 2013 to February 2015, Pure Earth and the Centre for Environment and Community Development (Hanoi, Vietnam) implemented a multi-faceted environmental and human health intervention.

Assessment of Environmental Contamination with Pathogenic Bacteria at a Hospital Laundry Facility.

Little is known about exposure to pathogenic bacteria among industrial laundry workers who work with soiled clinical linen. To study worker exposures, an assessment of surface contamination was performed at an industrial laundry facility serving hospitals in Seattle, WA, USA. Surface swab samples (n = 240) from the environment were collected during four site visits at 3-month intervals.

Childhood Lead Exposure from Battery Recycling in Vietnam.

Background: Battery recycling facilities in developing countries can cause community lead exposure.

Objective: To evaluate child lead exposure in a Vietnam battery recycling craft village after efforts to shift home-based recycling outside the village.

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 109 children in Dong Mai village, using blood lead level (BLL) measurement, parent interview, and household observation.

Migrant Workers in Agriculture: A View from Thailand.

There has been a dramatic increase in the global movement of workers during the last few decades. As Thailand has developed rapidly over the past 20 years, it has attracted laborers (both authorized and unauthorized) from the neighboring countries of Myanmar, People's Democratic Republic of Lao (Lao PDR), and Cambodia. Given that agriculture has been Thailand's most important industry, its continued growth has been dependent on migrant workers.

Health impact assessment of urban waterway decisions.

Health impact assessments (HIA) promote the consideration of health in a wide range of public decisions. Although each HIA is different, common pathways, evidence bases, and strategies for community engagement tend to emerge in certain sectors, such as urban redevelopment, natural resource extraction, or transportation planning. To date, a limited number of HIAs have been conducted on decisions affecting water resources and waterfronts.

Factors influencing poisoning symptoms: a case study of vegetable farmers exposed to mixed insecticides in Prek Balatchheng Village, Cambodia.

This study aimed to identify factors influencing poisoning symptoms among 153 mixed insecticide-exposed vegetable farmers in one Cambodian village, where 153 factory workers were selected as a comparative nonexposed group. The research instruments were questionnaires and reactive-paper test kits. The majority of vegetable farmers were male, with approximately 87% of the total participants with an average age of 34 years.

Symptoms in response to controlled diesel exhaust more closely reflect exposure perception than true exposure.

Background: Diesel exhaust (DE) exposures are very common, yet exposure-related symptoms haven't been rigorously examined.

Objective: Describe symptomatic responses to freshly generated and diluted DE and filtered air (FA) in a controlled human exposure setting; assess whether such responses are altered by perception of exposure.

Methods: 43 subjects participated within three double-blind crossover experiments to order-randomized DE exposure levels (FA and DE calibrated at 100 and/or 200 micrograms/m(3) particulate matter of diameter less than 2.

Teacher perspectives on implementing and sustaining a handwashing promotion intervention in Western Kenyan primary schools.

School-based handwashing programs are challenging to establish and sustain, especially in low-resource settings. This qualitative study described teacher perspectives associated with implementing and sustaining a handwashing program in primary schools participating in the Nyando Integrated Child Health and Education (NICHE) project. Structured key informant interviews were conducted with teachers.

Improving exposure estimates by combining exposure information.

Objectives: Any exposure estimation technique has inherent strengths and limitations. In an effort to improve exposure estimates, this study developed and evaluated the performance of several hybrid exposure estimates created by combining information from individual assessment techniques.

Methods: Construction workers (n = 68) each completed three full-shift noise measurements over 4 months.

Enhancing a safe water intervention with student-created visual aids to promote handwashing behavior in Kenyan primary schools.

The Nyando Integrated Child Health Education (NICHE) project was a collaborative effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and local partners to assess the effectiveness of multiple interventions for improving child survival in western Kenya.

Association of weight at enlistment with enrollment in the Army Weight Control Program and subsequent attrition in the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength Study.

The ongoing obesity epidemic has made recruiting qualified Army applicants increasingly difficult. A cohort of 10,213 Army enlisted subjects was enrolled in the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength (ARMS) study from February 2005 through September 2006. Overweight recruits obtained a waiver for enlistment (n = 990) if they passed a screening physical fitness test.

Influenza vaccination and sick leave practices and perceptions reported by health care workers in ambulatory care settings.

We examined annual influenza vaccination and sick leave practices and perceptions among 627 health care workers (HCWs) in ambulatory care settings in King County, Washington using a self-report questionnaire. Most medical practitioners (85%), but fewer other HCWs (nurses, nurse's aides, allied health professionals, administrative; 55%-64%) reported receiving an annual influenza vaccination; only 31% of HCWs reported routinely taking sick leave for influenza-like illness.

Iron-deficiency anaemia in rural Cambodia: community trial of a novel iron supplementation technique.

Background: More than 3.5 billion people are affected by iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA). Previous studies have shown that the use of iron pots in daily cooking ameliorates IDA.

Notifiable infectious disease reporting awareness among physicians and registered nurses in primary care and emergency department settings.

This study examined knowledge about notifiable infectious disease reporting among physicians and registered nurses (RNs) in primary care and emergency department settings in King County, Washington. In 2005, a total of 165 physicians and 170 RNs completed a questionnaire to assess knowledge, training and feedback regarding notifiable infectious disease reporting. Only 55% of the physicians and 63% of the RNs were aware of reporting procedures within their institution.

Work-related carpal tunnel syndrome in Washington State workers' compensation: utilization of surgery and the duration of lost work.

Background: Work-related carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a leading cause of lengthy disability.

Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study used Washington State workers' compensation claims for CTS to characterize associations between utilization of CTS surgery and duration of lost work. The sample included all claims (n = 8,224) filed during 1990-1994 (followed through 2000) and receiving lost-work compensation.

Opioid use for chronic low back pain: A prospective, population-based study among injured workers in Washington state, 2002-2005.

Objectives: To determine (1) the natural history of prescription opioid use, (2) the predictors of long-term opioid use, and (3) the association between opioid dose and pain and function in a large cohort of workers with recent back injuries.

Methods: Prospective cohort of workers with back injuries (N=1883) interviewed 18 days (median) and 1 year after claim submission. Detailed pharmacy data were obtained from computerized records of paid bills.

Indicators of hearing protection use: self-report and researcher observation.

Hearing protection devices (HPD) are commonly used to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss. There is a large body of research on hearing protection use in industry, and much of it relies on workers' self-reported use of hearing protection. Based on previous studies in fixed industry, worker self-report has been accepted as an adequate and reliable tool to measure this behavior among workers in many industrial sectors.

Predictors of hearing protection use in construction workers.

Objectives: Although noise-induced hearing loss is completely preventable, it remains highly prevalent among construction workers. Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are commonly relied upon for exposure reduction in construction, but their use is complicated by intermittent and highly variable noise, inadequate industry support for hearing conservation, and lax regulatory enforcement.

Methods: As part of an intervention study designed to promote HPD use in the construction industry, we enrolled a cohort of 268 construction workers from a variety of trades at eight sites and evaluated their use of HPDs at baseline.

Estimating Fluoride Exposure in Rural Communities: A Case Study in Western Washington.

PURPOSE: Efforts to achieve national objectives for fluoridation, such as Healthy People 2010, and water quality monitoring regulations focus on public water systems and generally overlook the 15% of U.S. households with private wells.

Residual methamphetamine in decontaminated clandestine drug laboratories.

This pilot cross-sectional study examined three previously decontaminated residential clandestine drug laboratories (CDLs) in Washington State to determine the distribution and magnitude of residual methamphetamine concentrations relative to the state decontamination standard. A total of 159 discrete random methamphetamine wipe samples were collected from the three CDLs, focusing on the master bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen at each site. Additional samples were collected from specific non-random locations likely to be contacted by future residents (e.

Evaluation of a healthcare safety climate measurement tool.

Problem: Psychometrically validated measurement tools are needed to evaluate an organization's safety climate. In 2000, Gershon and colleagues published a new healthcare safety climate measurement tool to determine its relationship to safe work behavior (Gershon, R., Karkashian, C.

Personal healthcare worker (HCW) and work-site characteristics that affect HCWs' use of respiratory-infection control measures in ambulatory healthcare settings.

Objectives: To identify healthcare worker (HCW) and work-site characteristics associated with HCWs' reported use of recommended respiratory-infection control practices in primary and emergency care settings.

Design: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire for HCWs during the summer and fall of 2005.

Setting: Primary and emergency care clinics at 5 medical centers in King County, Seattle, Washington.

Comparison of perceived and quantitative measures of occupational noise exposure.

Objectives: Characterization of highly variable noise exposures over long periods of time presents a major challenge. Common exposure assessment strategies such as assignment of exposure levels based on job title information may not provide adequate exposure contrast or precision for variable exposures. Subjective exposure data may offer an alternative or complementary exposure assessment strategy.

Appraisal of recommended respiratory infection control practices in primary care and emergency department settings.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic and concern about pandemic influenza prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop guidelines to prevent the transmission of all respiratory infections in health care settings during first contact with a potentially infected person. The extent to which health care workers and institutions use these CDC recommended practices is uncertain.

Methods: The study examined health care worker adherence to CDC recommended respiratory infection control practices in primary care clinics and emergency departments of 5 medical centers in King County, Washington, using a self-administered questionnaire.