ABSTRACT
This study looked at the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and airflow obstruction; and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) variation between production workers and control workers (both inside and outside work; linked to the foam-making industry at Onitsha; south -east Nigeria. A cross-sectional case control study was conducted among 199 randomly selected workers from five major foam companies.Subjects were grouped into exposed (production workers) and control; and a modified structured four-part Guidelines for Health Surveillance for Isocyanates questionnaire was administered. The workers had their PEFR values individually assessed during work on Friday and before resumption of work the following Monday morning for a period of 6 months. A total of 199 subjects were recruited (129 production workers; 70 control workers). There was a higher proportion of respiratory symptoms among the exposed group (53) compared with the controls (34) (p0.02). It was concluded that airflow obstruction and respiratory symptoms are common among workers in foam industries exposed to toluene diisocyanate
Subject(s)
Occupational Exposure , Spleen , VentilationABSTRACT
Introduction : Each year in sub-Saharan Africa; where 80 to 90 of the world's malaria cases occur; approximately 19 to 24 million women are at risk for malaria and its adverse consequences during pregnancy. The major impact of malaria during pregnancy in these regions is caused by persistent or recurrent; predominantly low-grade; sometimes sub-patent; parasitaemia. In Nigeria; malaria has severe negative effects on maternal health and birth outcomes; resulting in maternal anaemia; a high incidence of miscarriages and low birth weight. Primigravidae and secundigravidae are most at risk. Resistance to first-line antimalarials has increased in sub-Saharan Africa; and the available arsenal of alternative tools for malaria control in pregnancy is very limited. One of the most promising of these tools is insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs); which have been shown to reduce the number of infective mosquito bites by 70 to 90 in a variety of ecologic settings. In Nigeria; the current use of ITNs by the at-risk groups; pregnant women and children under five years; is just 1; according to the latest report of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).Aim : This study aimed at examining the effects of the use of ITNs on pregnancy outcomes among 208 primigravidae. Methodology : The study design was an analytical case control. One hundred and four subjects; the intervention group; received ITNs between August 2003 and January 2004The other 104 subjects were the control. Data were obtained using the new World Health Organization antenatal care classifying form and the basic component checklist; and a self-structured; 30-item pre-tested questionnaire. The Apgar scores of the babies and their birth weights were observed and recorded for both the intervention and the control groups.Results : The results showed that 83 of babies of mothers in the intervention group had a good condition at birth; while 87 of babies of mothers in the control group had a good condition at birth (p larger than 0.07; X2=1.69). A small increase in mean birth weight (0.001kg) of the babies of mothers in the intervention group was observed over those of mothers in the control group (p larger than 0.90). This showed that there were no significant beneficial impacts of the use of ITNs on foetal condition at birth; mean birth weight and low birth weight.Conclusion : The use of ITNs by primigravidae in Okpoko; a peri-urban slum in south-eastern Nigeria; showed no significant impact on pregnancy outcome