Air quality of metro system in a northwestern city of China from 2021 to 2022 / 环境与职业医学

Background Most metro system are underground, airtight, with inadequate ventilation and massive gatherings, posing health risks to metro riders. Objective To evaluate air quality of Metro Line 1 in a city, and provide suggestions and basis for preventing harmful factors and protecting the health of passengers. Methods Station halls, station platforms, and metro carriages of Metro Line 1 in a city were monitored in summer (from July to August in 2021) and winter (from January to February in 2022). Six metro stations were selected by stratified sampling. Each station and carriage were monitored for three consecutive days in rush hours (9:00–11:00 and 19:00–21:00) and non-rush hours (11:00–13:00), with the same monitoring frequency. The monitored indicators were physical factors (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, illumination, and noise), chemical factors (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, inhalable particles, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene, ammonia, and ozone), biological factor (airborne total bacterial count), and radiation factor (radon). The monitoring results were compared by location, time period, and season. Results According to the Hygienic indicators and limits for public places (GB 37488—2019), the selected physical factors did not meet the standard, especially the temperature and relative humidity of station hall and platform, and wind speed and noise of carriage. The results of physical factors varied significantly by location (P<0.05). In summer, the temperature of carriage [M (P25, P75), 23.9 (23.3, 24.6)℃] was the lowest, and the wind speed [0.78 (0.37, 1.11) m·s−1] and noise [76.0 (72.0, 80.3) dB] of carriage were the highest; in winter, the temperatures of station hall and platform were the lowest [16.2 (13.2, 17.2)℃ and 16.2 (13.4, 17.0)℃, respectively], the relative humidity of carriage [26.4% (24.2%, 27.9%)] was the lowest, and the wind speed and noise of carriage were the highest [0.83 (0.47, 1.18) m·s−1 and 74.5 (70.1, 78.3) dB, respectively]. The physical factors varied significantly by time period (P<0.05). In summer, the temperature was the lowest during morning rush hours [24.0 (23.0, 24.8)℃] and non-rush hours [24.2 (23.2, 24.9)℃], and the relative humidity during evening rush hours was the lowest [41.9% (37.0%, 47.8%)]; in winter, the temperature was the lowest during morning and evening rush hours [16.8 (13.4, 19.7)℃ and 16.5 (15.1, 19.4)℃, respectively], the relative humidity during the non-rush period was the lowest [26.8% (24.7%, 28.6%)], and the wind speed during evening rush hours was the highest [0.28 (0.19, 0.51) m·s−1]. All measured chemical factors, biological factor, and radiation factor met the national standard (GB 37488—2019). Conclusion The chemical, biological, and radiative factors are complied with the national standard (GB 37488—2019) except physical factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and noise. We suggest that the metro operators make full use of air conditioning system in combination with humidifiers to better regulate temperature and relative humidity, and .arrange working hours reasonably and provide noise-proof earplugs for carriage staff to protect against noise hazard.

Exploring intention to seek formal healthcare amid COVID-19: Trends and predictors among the youth in Metro Manila

Background@#The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a rise in lockdowns, fear, and anxiety. Analyzing the attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls in seeking formal healthcare is vital due to its manifestation in their intention. Determining the factors that affect this intention would see which factors encourage one's willingness to seek formal healthcare, especially due to the various dynamics introduced by the pandemic. @*Objective@#The study sought to determine how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls influence intention in seeking formal healthcare of the youth in Metro Manila during the pandemic. @*Methodology@#A cross-sectional study involving a survey of the youth in Metro Manila was conducted. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were used to see the relationships of the variables, and how these affect each other. @*Results@#One hundred sixty youth respondents from Metro Manila were included in the study. Subjective norms had the highest correlation and effect on one's intention to seek formal healthcare during the pandemic. Perceived behavioral controls followed subjective norms in their degree of correlation and were a predictor of intention. Lastly, attitudes had a significantly weak correlation with intention and were not a significant predictor of intention. @*Conclusion@#The youth gives more bearing to the concern of others regarding their well-being, as well as the challenges perceived in seeking formal healthcare in their intention to seek it. Giving more emphasis on lowering perceived barriers, alleviating concerns, and promoting seeking health during the pandemic would help encourage the youth's intention.

Epidemiologic profile of vehicular accident patients in the largest hospital in the Philippines covering ten years

Introduction@#Globally, the number of people who die from road crashes continues to rise, reaching a high of 1.35 million in 2016. Due to this continued increase in fatalities and injuries within the road transport system, especially in low- and middle-income countries, 2011 to 2020 was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety. @*Objectives@#This study looked into the epidemiology of road crashes and injuries in Metro Manila over ten years, from 2008-2017, from data gathered at the Department of Surgery of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). @*Method@#A retrospective review of patients’ clinical records was conducted to describe the epidemiology of road crash cases in the Trauma Division, Department of Surgery of the PGH. Clinical records of the road crash patients admitted to the division over the ten years, January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2017, were extracted from the Integrated Surgical Information System (ISIS). @*Results@#A total of 422 patients were admitted to the PGH Department of Surgery and recorded in the ISIS database, from 2008 to 2017, who suffered from road crashes in Metro Manila. Most of these patients (80.8%) were male. The mean age of patients was 32.4 years. The highest number of admissions (27.5%) and road crash deaths (6.9%) were in 2016; the highest number was from the city of Manila (26.7%), and most happened at nighttime (61.8%) between 6:00 PM and 5:59 AM. Throughout the years, motorcycle (52.8%) was the vehicle type involved. Among patients with helmet use information, 65.4% were not wearing helmets, 91.2% had a history of alcohol intake. The majority incurred multiple injuries (82.7%), with the external region (53.8%) as the most common. Patients who sustained injuries to their head and neck region were five times more likely to die and six times more likely to have an unchanged patient outcome than those who did not have these injuries. Patients who had a GCS of 8 and below or those who had severe brain injuries were eight times more likely to die and six times more likely to have an unchanged patient outcome. @*Conclusion@#This study looked into the epidemiology of road crash cases admitted to the Surgery Department of the PGH. Road crash injuries and deaths remain a growing concern among the citizens of Metro Manila. It is hoped that the results of this study will provide policymakers with an objective and data-driven perspective on road crashes.

Characteristics and health risk assessment of heavy metals in metro station’s airborne PM2.5 in a South China city / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze characteristics of heavy metals in metro station’s airborne PM2.5 and to evaluate its health risk in a South China city. Methods A metro stations were selected for the study. Sampling sites of metro station included ground control, station hall and platform. The PM2.5 sampling was conducted one time per day for three consecutive days. The concentrations of ten heavy metals (As、Cr、Cd、Ni、Hg、Pb、Mn、Sb、Se、Cu) were determined. Inhalation exposure to these heavy metals2.52.5 range from 0.06 ng/m3 to 49.22 ng/m3. The concentrations of Mn、Cr and Ni in metro station’s airborne PM2.5 were respectively 3.75 times, 2.23times and 2.12 times higher than those in ground control. Increased lifetime cancer risk of carcinogenic heavy metal Cr exposure outrange the acceptable level (10-6) when its exposure time exceed 5 hours per day for lifetime. Cancer risk of carcinogenic heavy metal As exposure outrange the acceptable level (10-6) when its exposure time for adult male population exceed 8 hours per day for lifetime. Non-carcinogenic hazards risks of heavy metal Mn、Cu、Pb、Se、Hg and Sb in metro station’s airborne PMPM2.5 were little. Conclusions Airborne particulate matter in metro station has become one of the important sources of heavy metal exposure. Further attention should be paid to the possible carcinogenic risk of heavy metals in metro station’s airborne PM2.5 for long-term exposure.

The mediating effect of neurotic personality between occupational stress and psychological symptoms in metro-drivers / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between occupational stress response and psychological symptoms of metro-drivers and the mediating role of neurotic personality. METHODS: A total of 396 metro-drivers in a subway operating company were selected as the research subjects using judgment sampling method. Their psychological symptoms, neurotic personality and occupational stress response were evaluated using the Symptom Checklist 90, the Neurotic Subscales of NEO Five-Factor Inventory, and the Personal Strain Questionnaire of Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition. RESULTS: The scores of psychological symptoms, neurotic personality and occupational stress response in the metro-drivers were(148.8±42.7),(29.3±6.3) and(104.2±14.2), respectively. The occupational stress of metro-drivers was positively correlated with the psychological symptoms score(correlation coefficient was 0.45, P<0.01), and neurotic personality was positively correlated with occupational stress response and psychological symptoms scores(correlation coefficients were 0.44 and 0.53 respectively, all P<0.01). The occupational stress response of metro-drivers played a direct effect on their psychological symptoms, and the direct effect was 0.825. Neurotic personality played a partial mediating effect between occupational stress response and psychological symptoms, and the mediating effect was 0.537, accounting for 39.4% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: The neurotic personality of metro-drivers plays a partial mediating role between occupational stress response and psychological symptoms.

Dynamics of chronic diseases in metro and non-metro regions of India: evidence from India Human Development Survey I and II

Background:The growth of metropolitan cities had significantly contributed to the process of urbanization in India. About two-fifth of the urban population, out of total India’s urban population, live in 35 metropolitan cities. It is important to look into the disease dynamics in the population of metro and non-metro regions of India. The study aims to find the differences in the distribution of chronic diseases in metro and non-metro regions of India and depicts the contributions of background factors causing a change in the prevalence of chronic diseases in metro and non-metro regions of India.Methods:Data from India Human Development Survey (IHDS)I and II conducted in 2004 and 2012 respectively have been used. Bivariate analysis has been performed to find the association between independent variables and chronic diseases, and logistic regression has been used to find the effect of predictor variables on chronic diseases by metro and non-metro regions. Fairlie decomposition technique has been used to find the contribution of each predictor variable accounting for differences in chronic diseases between metro and non-metro regions.Results:Age, sex, socio-economic status (education and wealth), alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, and body mass index status are significantly associated with chronic conditions in metro regions of India. Age, wealth, and developed regions contributed most to the differences in chronic diseases between metro and non-metro areas.Conclusions:Metro regions in India suffers from a massive burden of chronic conditions. Metro regions should be given a special focus to tackle the menace of chronic diseases.

The influencing effects of effort reward imbalance on sleep disorders among metro staff in Guangzhou / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#To detect the prevalence of sleep disorders among metro staff and to analyze influencing effects of effort reward imbalance (ERI) on it.@*Methods@#In January 2015, subway driver, dispatcher and station operator from Guangzhou subway were selected as the research object in the whole group sampling method. A total of 1200 questionnaires were distributed and 1124 were valid questionnaires, and the effective questionnaire recovery rate was 93.7%. Based on the effort reward imbalance questionnaire and the self-administered sleep questionnaire, the data of the general demographic characteristics, life satisfaction, occupational stress and sleep status of the respondents were collected. Epi.data3.1 and spss19.0 were used for analyzing.@*Results@#A total of 1124 subway employees were surveyed, with an average age of (28±5) years; the working age was (4.5±3.6) years. ERI occupied 24.7% (278/1124) of the study population and sleep disorders as 42.2% (474/1124) . Single factor analysis showed that marital status, educational level, work position, life satisfaction and ERI could significantly influence sleep disorders of metro staff (P<0.05) . Logistic regression showed that higher effort (adjusted OR=2.56, 95%CI: 1.79-3.68) , lower reward (adjusted OR=1.90, 95%CI: 1.34-2.68) and ERI (adjusted OR=2.33, 95%CI: 1.69-3.22) could increase the risk of sleep disorders after the confounding factors were controlled. ERI (adjusted OR=2.89, 95% CI: 1.80-4.64) , and over commitment (adjusted OR=4.64, 95%CI: 2.81-7.68) could influence the risk of sleep disorders independently when over commitment was evaluated as a moderating variable.@*Conclusion@#Occupational stress as ERI could influence the risk of sleep disorders among metro staff. The situation should not be neglected for occupational health of metro staff.

The pollution of metal elements in PM2.5 at the metro stations / 预防医学

Objective @#To investigate the pollution of metal elements in PM2.5 at the metro station by monitoring, so as to provide evidence for health protection strategies.@*Methods@#The PM2.5 concentrations on the platforms, in the tunnels, and above the ground of two selected metro stations in some city were collected and measured by electronic balance. The concentrations of Fe, Al, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ba and Cd in PM2.5 were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The pollution index (PI) and enrichment factor (EF) of these elements were analyzed.@*Results@#The concentration of PM2.5 was (101.46±32.88) μg/m3 on the platforms, (104.42±32.95) μg/m3 in the tunnels and (74.25±13.29) μg/m3 above the ground. The highest Fe concentrations were (33.19±5.93) μg/m3 on the platforms and (39.95±11.56) μg/m3 in the tunnels, accounting for (33.73±9.40)% and (42.72±17.17)% of PM2.5. The average PI values of Fe, Mn and Ba in PM2.5 on the platforms were 29.67, 9.24 and 7.13, in the tunnels were 36.30, 11.23 and 8.30, respectively, with very high level of pollution; the average EF values of Fe, Mn and Ba in PM2.5 on the platforms were 20.15, 4.55 and 4.33, in the tunnels were 19.44, 4.16 and 4.07, with serious, medium and medium level of enrichment, respectively.@*Conclusion@#The main metal pollutants in PM2.5 at the metro station are Fe, Mn and Ba, which are enriched in the metro environment.

Mental health status and its influencing factors on subway operators in a city / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the mental health status and its influencing factors on subway operators in a city. METHODS: A judgment sampling method was used to select 375 subway operators of a metro operation company in a city as the research subjects. The Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90) was used to investigate the mental health status of the research subjects, and the influencing factors of mental health levels in the subway operators were analyzed through the multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The total score of SCL-90 for the mental health level of the subway operators in this city was higher than the national average scores [(142.9±45.0) vs(130.0±33.6), P<0.01].The positive rate of psychological abnormalibies was 46.9%(176/375). The multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that the positive rate of psychological abnormalities was lower in the subway operators in the group aged above 18 and secondary college education group(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The mental health status of subway operators in the city is generally poor. The age and educational level are important factors influencing mental health level.

Study Of Etiological Factors Of Female Infertility In A Tertiary Care Medical College And Hospital

Infertility is traditionally described as inability of a couple to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse. Although the original definition still stands, recent evidence suggests that the definition should be more relaxed and should include couples who, within the period of one year, already have recognised pathology which may cause difficulty in conception. Newer guidelines define infertility as failure to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse, and in women over 35 years of age within 6 months of unprotected intercourse. Infertility is turning out to be the one of the most common reason for women attending the Gynecology OPD. This study was undertaking with the aim of identifying the most common causes of infertility in women attending the Gynecology OPD at a tertiary care hospital in a tier 3 metro city.

Road safety performance index in Metro Manila, Philippines: 2011-2015

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:</strong> Road safety in the Philippines has been increasingly significant with the increasing level of industrialization and urbanization over the last decade. The main objective of the study was to determine the road safety performance for Metro Manila by computing for an index based on data and variables of road traffic over the past years.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>METHODOLOGY: </strong>The variables for index calculation included speed, alcohol, infrastructure, vehicle defect, and other unsafe driver behavior were drawn from the Metro Manila Development (MMDA) database complemented with literature review from several sources. Equal Weighting method was utilized, as this is the simplest, yet, least biased measurement suitable for the data at hand.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:</b> The Road Safety Performance Index for Metro Manila remains more or less constant over a five-year period, increasing and decreasing from 0.45 to 0.59 which means that Metropolitan Manila has fared poorly in all indicators. Metro Manila has a poor road safety performance as evidenced by the road safety index. There is a need to improve on all components of road safety identified in this study for the safety of road users. </p>

A Three-Year Review of the Clinical and Pathologic Profile of Patients with Colonic Polyps in a University Hospital in Metro Manila (2014-2016)

Background @#The data on the prevalence and distribution of polyps in Asians is limited with conflicting data about the most common type.@*Objective@#To obtain recent data about the histologic types of endoscopically labeled as polyps by colonoscopy and correlate with the clinico-pathologic profile@*Method@#Retrospective cross-sectional review of histopathologic and endoscopic reports of colonoscopy with biopsy of colonic polyps of patients in the University of Santo Tomas Hospital (January 2014- December 2016).@*Results@#3910 colonoscopies were performed and a total of 302 patients were retrieved and 500 polyps were resected. The most common indication was hematochezia and hemorrhoids. The colonic polyps were solitary in 36% of the cases. Majority were seen in 50-69 years old, left sided region (78%), particularly the sigmoid (37%), and sessile (77.3%). The most common type is tubular adenoma (45%) and majority of the adenomatous polyps were seen in the sigmoid. There is significant association between age and presence of an adenomatous polyp where ≥70 years old are about 2.5 times more likely to have adenomatous polyp and pedunculated polyps are 2 times more likely to be adenomatous. There is no significant association between presence of an adenomatous polyp and polyp size and gender.@*Conclusion@#The type and distribution of colorectal polyps are similar with others and vigilant approach of the left side should be exercised. Absence of any significant difference between size and adenomatous nature necessitate the need for early identification and removal of colorectal polyp in preventing morbidity and mortality from cancer.

The study to estimate the floating population in Seoul, Korea

Traffic-related pollutants have been reported to increase the morbidity of respiratory diseases. In order to apply management policies related to motor vehicles, studies of the floating population living in cities are important. The rate of metro rail transit system use by passengers residing in Seoul is about 54% of total public transportation use. Through the rate of metro use, the people-flow ratios in each administrative area were calculated. By applying a people-flow ratio based on the official census count, the floating population in 25 regions was calculated. The reduced level of deaths among the floating population in 14 regions having the roadside monitoring station was calculated as assuming a 20% reduction of mobile emission based on the policy. The hourly floating population size was calculated by applying the hourly population ratio to the regional population size as specified in the official census count. The number of people moving from 5 a.m. to next day 1 a.m. could not be precisely calculated when the population size was applied, but no issue was observed that would trigger a sizable shift in the rate of population change. The three patterns of increase, decrease, and no change of population in work hours were analyzed. When the concentration of particulate matter less than 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter was reduced by 20%, the number of excess deaths varied according to the difference of the floating population. The effective establishment of directions to manage the pollutants in cities should be carried out by considering the floating population. Although the number of people using the metro system is only an estimate, this disadvantage was supplemented by calculating inflow and outflow ratio of metro users per time in the total floating population in each region. Especially, 54% of metro usage in public transport causes high reliability in application.

Correlation of magnetic resonance imaging findings in low back pain patients with daily travel time and mode.

Low back pain (LBP) is the major worldwide cause of pain and it is caused mainly due to long day sedentary work style in office and long hours of travelling in metro cities. The aim was to correlate the association of LBP with increase in time of travel and different modes of travel in metro cities. Methods: Of all the LBP patients referred from orthopedic outpatient department to Radiology Department for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spine, 200 cases of those who travelled minimum 2 h daily and more were considered for this study. Results: The results showed correlation of increase in incidence of degenerative changes in spine and changes in disc with increase in travelling time and also the different modes of travel. The changes increased with time significantly in younger population. Conclusions: In our study of 200 patients complaining of LBP and having changes is spine reported on MRI showed reliable association of the LBP to the daily travelling of minimum 2 h and more, and associated with mode of travel, particularly two wheelers followed by public transport.

Effect evaluation of the feeding, and administration of omeprazole pelletsorally on gastric juice pH in adult horses / Evaluación del efecto de la alimentación y de la administración deomeprazol en pellets vía oral sobre el pH del jugo gástrico en equinosadultos / Avaliação do efeito da alimentação, e administração de omeprazole pelletspor via oral no pH do suco gástrico em cabalhos adultos

The aim of this study was to determine the omeprazol treatment effect on equine gastric fluid pH with food andwithout food administering for the duration of the experiment. To carry this project out, 7 animals were chosenbetween the ages of 3 and 10 (2 males and 5 females) from the Centro de Veterinaria y Zootecnia - CES. In thecontrolled treatment they received 200 ml of physiological saline and were treated using omeprazol pellets whichwere administered in a single dose of 4 mg/kg via a nasogastric insertion, and in two groups with or without foodduring the treatment. Gastric pHs were measured at 0 hour (fasting before treatment) and then at hours 3, 5, 7, 9,11 and 24 after treatment. In animals consuming food, both treatments showed post treatment gastric pH increases,which can be explained by the ad libitumn food management in both treatments, which may increasing post prandialpH. In fasting animals, we observed that in the controlled treatment the pH was maintained at very low levels atall measurement times, while in the omeprazol treatment the pH increased significantly. These results show thattreatment with omeprazol pellets at a dose of 4 mg/kg via nasogastric insertion increased gastric pH in healthyanimals that are not eating food and that this effect was similar to them being administered food.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el efecto del tratamiento con omeprazol sobre el pH del fluido gástrico en equinos, con la administración del alimento y sin ella. Para llevar a cabo este proyecto se eligieron siete animalesentre los 3 y 10 años de edad (2 machos y 5 hembras) del Centro de Veterinaria y Zootecnia – CES. El tratamientocon omeprazol se administró en pellets a una dosis única de 4 mg/kg, por vía nasogástrica, para los grupos cono sin alimento. Para el tratamiento control, se administraron 200 ml de solución salina fisiológica. En todos lostratamientos se midieron los pHs gástricos a la hora 0 (ayunas antes del tratamiento) y luego a las horas 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 y 24, postratamiento. Los animales que consumieron alimento con y sin omeprazol presentaron aumentos de pHgástrico postratamiento, lo que se puede explicar por el sumistro de heno ad libitum en ambos tratamientos. En losanimales en ayuno se observó que en el tratamiento control, el pH se mantuvo en niveles muy bajos en todas las horasde medición, mientras que en el tratamiento con omeprazol, el pH aumentó notablemente. Los resultados muestran que el tratamiento con pellets de omeprazol a una dosis de 4 mg/kg vía nasogástrica aumentó el pH gástrico en animales sanos que no están consumiendo alimento y que este efecto fue similar que cuando se administró el mismo.

A resistência é o mecanismo pelo qual a bactéria pode diminuir a ação dos agentes antimicrobianos de formanatural ou adquirida; dentro das causas mais frequentes está a utilização indiscriminada destes agentes em pacienteshumanos e produções pecuárias. Desde 1990 tem identificado novas cepas resistentes de bactérias que originaramdoenças zoonóticas emergentes. Dentro destas a zoonose, a salmonelose é considerada a doença mais difundida anível mundial, a ampla distribuição na natureza entre animais silvestres, domésticos e o meio ambiente, produz umarápida propagação de seus mais de 2500 sorotipos no homem. Contudo, a grande preocupação pela infecção com esteinteiro patógeno é devido aos cada vez mais elevados fracassos nos tratamentos com antimicrobianos convencionais,ocasionados pela alta resistência bacteriana a estes fármacos. O presente artigo é uma revisão sobre a problemáticaque gerou a resistência de Salmonella no homem e os animais, contem também estratégias de prevenção e controledeste fenômeno, que está distante de terminar e permitem o fortalecimento da saúde pública.

Study on Survey of Knowledge and Awareness Level of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Results from Seoul Metro-City Diabetes Prevention Program Survey

PURPOSE: To investigate the knowledge and awareness level of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetes patients. METHODS: A total of 437 participants with diabetes were recruited in the Seoul Metro-City Diabetes Prevention Program (SMC-DPP). Participants underwent clinical and laboratory examinations and questionnaire survey to evaluate diabetes complications. The DR was diagnosed by grading fundus photographs 5 standard fields taken per eye. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of any DR was 20.4% and only 6.6% of patients were aware of their DR. The DR patients who underwent an eye examination within the previous year were 42.3%, and 50.3% out of 437 patients enrolled were educated on diabetes. Of the survey participants, 83.8% answered positive to 'Evaluation of diabetes mellitus complication must be performed every year', 61.1% answered positive to 'Must control blood pressure and lipid level for diabetes management' and 28.4% believed 'It takes a long time for complications of diabetes to develop'. The DR self awareness was 14.6% and an eye examination within the previous year was 50.6% among the 89 DR participants. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the survey with SMC-DPP type 2 diabetes participants showed a low knowledge and awareness level of chronic complications such as DR.

The acute effects of volcanic ash on pulmonary function in children

To evaluate the acute effects of the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic ash on pulmonary function, we studied 103 school children with ages ranging from 12 to 17 years and residing in Metro Manila where about 2.0 cm of ash had fallen. All study participants were involved in a previous study wherein their baseline pulmonary functions were measured. Two weeks after ash exposure, outcome variables measured included respiratory symptoms, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), maximal midexpiratory flow (MMEF), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Data on composition and particulate size of volcanic ash were obtained. Ashfall exposure produced only transient and tolerable respiratory symptoms, the most common being rhinorrhea, sneezing and cough. Mean fall in FVC was-0.06468+-0.207 liters and-0.0681 +-0.207 liters for FEV1. Males showed a greater decrease in these measurements compared to females. These differences were statistically significant but small and may not be clinically significant. Also, measures of pulmonary function did not correlate with a history of exposure to cigarette smoke nor with the presence of respiratory symptoms. The presence of a demonstrable but minimal adverse effect on pulmonary function may be partly due to precautionary measures taken during the ashfall. It is ideal to repeat pulmonary function tests on the population periodically to document any long-term exposure-related decline in pulmonary function and to validate the present observations against new spirometric measurements at a time of re-exposure and almost nil or absent ashfall exposure. Studies must be done in communities closer to the volcano where these observed changes in pulmonary function may be magnified The widespread destruction caused by the series of eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo in Castillejos, Zambales from May to August, 1991 has raised not only economic concerns but questions on environmental and health aspects as well. With its major eruption on June 15 to 16, 1991, volcanic ash was spawned far with a radius of 850 kilometers from the vent. Typhoon winds prevailing at that time facilitated the spread of volcanic ash to more populated areas as far as Palawan to the south and even as far as Cambodia to the west Analysis of volcanic ash yielded a predominance of respirable particles smaller than 10 micra in diameter and the minerals, silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide. Experience with clinical effects on the respiratory system of volcanic ashfall is rather limited. Recent reports have have dealt mostly on the May 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington, USA, where the composition of volcanic ash was comparable to that spewed by Mt. Pinatubo After eruption of Mt. St. Helens, there was note of an increase in medical consultations for wheezy bronchitis among young children. Questions raised included the possibility of silicosis developing in the exposed population and also on the acute effects of the ash, both in persons with pre-existing lung disease and, as a non-specific irritant, in normal individuals. Johnson, et. al 2 studied the pulmonary function of children residing within a 90 mile radius from the volcano 1 week after the eruption and did not find a significant decrease from normal values. A similar study by Buist et al.,3 on children attending a summer camp situated close to the volcanic site did not show either a within-day or between-day effect on lung function even among children with pre-existing lung diseases In Metro Manila, there were anecdotal reports of increased respiratory symptoms among residents, including school children, after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption caused volcanic ash fall. This study aims to evaluate the acute effects of inhaled volcanic ash on the pulmonary function of school children in Metro Manila Average ashfall in Metro Manila located 180 aerial kilometers from Mt. Pinatubo was 2.0 cm., average ashfall in areas within a 10 kilometer radius from the volcano was 50 cm.

Problems and tentative solutions in the control of gonorrhea in the community

Hospitality girls reporting at the Balibago Social Hygiene Clinic, Angeles City between November 1978 and February 1979 for their regular VD check-up were studied. Similarly, hospitality girls seen at the Social Hygiene Clinics at Makati, Pasay City, and Para$aque, Metro Manila were studied from July to November 1978 to compare the prevalence rate of gonococcal infection

Plan of health care delivery in Metro Manila

The development of the health care program in Metro Manila has been a continuous exercise and experiment in planning and implementation. In the process, it is hoped that it has changed the attitudes of those who serve and those who are served. It has also demonstrated opportunities for joint participation of the people, the government and the private sectors: Through the mechanisms of organizational development,systems approaches, maximum utilization of resources and linkages, we have tried to demonstrate that health care and human welfare can positively motivate the bureaucracy to respond dynamically. (Conclusion)

Prostate cancer incidence in Metro Manila and Rizal province: 1980-1992

Incidence was derived from published data from 2 population-based registries-the Philippine Cancer Society-Manila Cancer registry and the Department of Health-Rizal Cancer Registry, which covered 8.5 million residents (1990 census) of a 1,674 square kilometer area that comprises Metro Manila and Rizal province. Thirteen registry clerks actively sought new cancer cases in 96 hospitals and 30 Civil Registry offices. Both registries are members of the International Association of Cancer Registries and receive continuing professional assistance from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). For the period of 1988-1992 the combined age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) was 17.0, prostate cancer ranked third and comprised 6.1 per cent of all male cancers. Prostate cancer rates were lower than those observed among North American and European populations, but within the Asian region, Philippine rates were higher than most Asian populations. Age-specific rates increased considerably at age-group 66-59 years and continued to increase with increasing age. There were significant differences in rates between cities and municipalities, with the rates in some highly urbanized cities double those seen in urbanizing areas, and triple those seen in rural areas. Rates had increased slightly in the 13-year period between 1980-1992 but total cases had triples. Incidence rates among Filipino migrants to Hawaii, San Francisco and Los Angeles were almost 3 times higher than rates seen in Philippines residents, but were still only half of those seen among the white populations.