ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to reveal the different risk factors related to this cancer particularly that there is no agreement about which factors affect the risk. A fishing expedition hospital based case control study was carried out. Cases and controls were identified from the Urology Department of Alexandria Main University Hospital, 2004. All cases diagnosed as having the tumor were included in the case series. For each case the second subject proved to have a negative pathological examination was included in the control group (50).Data collection was carried out blindly using a structured interview schedule. Analysis was applied using Chi-square test, Fisher exact and Student's t-test. Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals were calculated. Results indicated that regular consumption of sausages was greater among cases than controls (X(2)= 10.19, p= 0.001 and an odds ratio of 5.92 (CI: 1.69-25.99). Also more cases claimed consuming regularly butter and natural ghee than controls (X(2)= 5.47, p= 0.019). The estimate risk was as high as 2.79 (Cl: 1.07-7.33). However regular consumption of vegetables was more encountered among controls than cases (X(2) = 5.005, p= 0.025 where the odds ratio was 0.19 (Cl: 0.02-1.01). Moreover the multiple regression analysis confirmed the results obtained from univariate analysis. The consistency of results of current work as regards sausages and butter with several other research works can support the identification of these specific possible risk factors. Also other research workers pointed out to the protective effect of vegetables. However further research is needed to address other risk factors.
ABSTRACT
Lead exposure among children is a serious health problem affecting virtually every system in their bodies. Affection of their cognitive function with its implication of poor school performance, is one of the serious outcomes of such exposure. In an attempt to arrive to an adequate knowledge about the impact of lead exposure on the health status and scholastic achievement in school age, a cross sectional study was carried out on 250 primary school pupils aged from 8 to 10 years in Wassat region in Alexandria. The concentration, visual and hearing acuity and the cognitive function. Moreover, laboratory investigation of blood lead level of the pupils was carried out. Their final scholastic achievement at the end of the year were recorded. The results indicated that the mean blood lead level among the studied pupils was 17.36 +/- 10.67 microg/dl, more than one third of the sample (36.00%) were highly exposed to lead with blood level of 20 microg/dl and more. A significant negative correlation was found between blood lead level and the 50th percentile of weight for height (r = -0.4488), haemoglobin concentration (r = -0.6133) and IQ scores (r = -0.8150) of the pupils. While a significant positive correlation was observed with the functional visual and hearing loss (r = 0.1390 and 0.2189 respectively). Moreover, the multiple regression analysis determined that age, blood lead level, crowding index, IQ score and number of missed school days were the significant contributing variables to the final scholastic achievement of the pupils from all the studied factors.
