Study of physical fitness status among police security recruits

A cross sectional study was carried out to evaluate the level of physical fitness of new recruits of the central security forces and to study the effect of training and other various ecological factors on the level of their physical fitness. Seven hundred and twenty individuals were selected from the training camp of central security forces at Quesna district. Menoufia Governorate, to be the subjects of this study. The results showed that the training program had a significant positive effect on the physical fitness response and pulmonary function measurements of recruits. Smoking habits, residence. Hb concentration and bilharzial infection were important factors affecting response to training

Compliance with seat belts as a personal protective measure among taxi drivers in Egypt

The use of preventive measures is an important indication of the extent to which both the health system and the community are committed to the promotion of health. Seat belt usage can provide the last line of defense when all possibilities of prevention of car accidents are exploited. For these reasons this work was intended to Document the current status of seat belt usage and to clarify the factors determining the compliance of taxi drivers with this personal protection activity. Three hundred professional drivers were randomly selected from a central car park in the greater Cairo and interviewed according to a questionnaire. The main results of this study were as follows: 1] 6% of interviewed drivers use seat belts regularly and 9.7% sometimes use it, whereas 84.3% do not use it at all. 2] The majority of seat a high-belt users are nonsmokers 70.2% [P < 0.05], and with er educational levels than non-users. 3] Interviewed drivers claimed that seat belts may be hazardous [30.8%], restrict movement [26.1%] or not useful in prevention of severe injuries [40.7%]. These data point to the need for comprehensive educational, legislative and training efforts to achieve a high seat belt compliance among this sector of workers

Biological indicators and lipogram pattern among workers in battery industry

The effects of chronic lead exposure on the cardiovascular system were investigated in the workers in the battery industry at Chloride Company. One hundred and ten workers exposed to lead were selected randomly, also 45 workers who have never been exposed to lead before, of comparable age group and socioeconomic standard were selected randomly to be the control group. General clinical examination, cardiovascular manifestations [by an observation sheet], blood pressure determination were carried out and blood lead, urinary delta amino levulenic acid and lipogram pattern [total lipids, cholesterol and its fractions, triglycerides and B/A lipoproteins] were determined. Also lactic acid dehydrogenase and lactic acid isoenzymes estimation were performed. The atmospheric lead concentration was found to be 0.039 - 0.28 ug/m3. The present study showed high prevalence of cardiovascular manifestations [27.3%] and hypertension [35.5%] among exposed workers with significant correlation between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and some parameters of lipogram pattern on one hand with blood lead and urinary delta amino levulenic acid