Resiliency and Barriers to Successful Aging Among Middle-Aged Mexican Immigrants Residing in a Rural Agricultural Community.

OBJECTIVES: The Latino population is one of the largest, most diverse, and fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States. Although Latinos enjoy longer life spans and reduced mortality risk relative to non-Hispanic Whites, they have higher rates of chronic health conditions such as diabetes and dementia and live more of their older years with poor health and disability. Such inequities point to the need for this research focused on examining resiliency strategies and barriers to successful aging among various U.S. Latino subgroups. METHODS: This qualitative study used thematic content analysis to examine resiliency strategies and barriers to successful aging among Mexican immigrant women (n = 40) residing in an underserved agricultural community and entering mid-life (mean = 49 years old). RESULTS: With regards to barriers to successful aging, 3 themes emerged: (1) stressful lifestyle in the United States compared to the participants' home countries; (2) stress from expectations at home; and (3) stress due to work and the various components around work. The following 4 resiliency strategies emerged: (1) family as a motivation for moving forward in life and focusing on the success of children; (2) having a positive mindset; (3) praying to God for strength to overcome obstacles; and (4) self-care. DISCUSSION: Despite experiencing barriers to successful aging, participants practice various resiliency strategies to age successfully. Because many of the barriers identified are related to poverty-related stressors, systemic solutions addressing the social determinants of health are needed.

Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use and cardiovascular disease risk factors among adult Latina women in California's Salinas Valley.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. There is limited evidence that exposure to current-use pesticides may contribute to cardiovascular disease risk. We examined the association between residential proximity to the application of agricultural pesticides and cardiovascular risk factors among 484 adult women in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study, a cohort based in an agricultural region of California. Outcome assessment was completed between 2010 and 2013. Using participant residential addresses and California's Pesticide Use Reporting database, we estimated agricultural pesticide use within one km of residences during the 2-year period preceding outcome assessment. We used Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling to evaluate associations between exposure to 14 agricultural pesticides and continuous measures of waist circumference, body mass index, and blood pressure. Each 10-fold increase in paraquat application around homes was associated with increased diastolic blood pressure (ß=2.60 mm Hg, 95% Credible Interval (CrI): 0.27-4.89) and each 10-fold increase in glyphosate application was associated with increased pulse pressure (ß=2.26 mm Hg, 95% CrI: 0.09-4.41). No meaningful associations were observed for the other pesticides examined. Our results suggest that paraquat and glyphosate pesticides may affect cardiovascular disease development in women with chronic environmental exposure.

Definitions of successful aging among middle-aged Latinas residing in a rural agricultural community.

INTRODUCTION: Latinos are the fastest growing aging population in the U.S. However, there has been limited attention to conceptualizing successful aging among Latinos, especially those residing in rural communities. Latinos are the largest racial or ethnic group residing in rural underserved communities and rural Latinos experience significant structural barriers to access the conditions they need to age well. The goal of this study is to make unique contributions to the successful aging literature by describing what successful aging means for middle-aged Latinas residing in a rural community. METHODS: This qualitative paper used inductive thematic content analysis to examine definitions of successful aging among Latina women (n = 40) residing in an underserved agricultural community and entering mid-life (mean = 49 years old; age range 40-64). RESULTS: With regards to definitions of successful aging, four themes emerged: 1) Having good health; 2) maintaining an active lifestyle; 3) the wellbeing of one's children; and 4) being independent. DISCUSSION: Participants' definitions of successful aging aligned to some extent with existing frameworks, specifically related to health and independence. However, middle-aged Latina participants' unique definitions of successful aging also diverged from existing frameworks, especially around the wellbeing of their children and the importance of work as a way of maintaining an active lifestyle. More research is needed to understand the unique social context and circumstances of middle-aged Latinos residing in rural communities and how they influence their aging journeys. This can provide important information for the development of culturally sensitive services, interventions, and policies to help Latinos age well.

Air concentrations of volatile organic compounds associated with conventional and "green" cleaning products in real-world and laboratory settings.

The use of household cleaning products can result in exposure to potentially hazardous volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs). "Green" cleaning products have become increasingly available, but there is no official "green" standard, and it is difficult for consumers to know what chemicals they may be exposed to while cleaning. We measured air concentrations of 46 VOCs and SVOCs of concern released from conventional and "green" cleaning products during both real-world household cleaning and a controlled chamber environment, with a focus on chemicals that might increase women's risk of breast cancer, including possible carcinogens, reproductive/developmental toxicants, or endocrine disruptors. Air samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. First, in a study of 50 women cleaning their own homes using either conventional or "green" cleaning products, we recorded the products used and collected air samples from the breathing zone to determine whether specific products or types of products were associated with increased concentrations of specific VOCs and SVOCs. The results showed that women who used conventional bleach products, disinfecting wipes, and dish soap had higher breathing zone air concentrations of several VOCs, including chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, hexaldahyde, and 1,4-dioxane, than women who did not use these products. While fewer "green" products were associated with increases in VOC air concentrations, use of "green" all-purpose cleaners was associated with increases in air concentrations of some fragrance chemicals of concern. In the laboratory, we then selected 9 of the most common conventional products and 7 "green" products used in the in-home study for measurement of the same VOCs using a continuous stirred cylindrical flow-through chamber. We found that 75% of the highest VOC emissions were emitted by conventional cleaning products, but we also identified VOC emissions of concern from green products. VOC emissions in the chamber largely agreed with the modeled associations from real-world cleaning.

Changes in Latina Women's Exposure to Cleaning Chemicals Associated with Switching from Conventional to "Green" Household Cleaning Products: The LUCIR Intervention Study.

BACKGROUND: Household cleaning products may be a significant source of chemical exposures, including carcinogens and suspected endocrine disruptors. OBJECTIVES: We characterized exposures during routine household cleaning and tested an intervention to reduce exposures to cleaning product chemicals. METHODS: The Lifting Up Communities with Interventions and Research (LUCIR) Study is a youth-led, community-based intervention project. Youth researchers conducted personal air monitoring with 50 Latina women while they cleaned their homes with their regular cleaning products (preintervention visit) and then 1 week later while they used "green" cleaning products provided by the study (postintervention visit). Air samples were analyzed for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. We compared pre- and postintervention air concentrations of 47 chemicals of concern, selected because they were on California's Proposition 65 list of carcinogens or reproductive/developmental toxicants or were suspected endocrine disruptors. Youth researchers were integrally involved in the study design, data collection, interpretation, and dissemination of findings. RESULTS: We observed statistically significant decreases in air concentrations of 17 chemicals of concern when participants switched to green cleaning products, including decreases in geometric mean concentrations of 1,4-dioxane (-46.4%), chloroform (-86.7%), benzene (-24.8%), naphthalene (-40.3%), toluene (-24.2%), and hexane (-35.5%). We observed significant increases in air concentrations of three fragrance compounds: the plant-derived terpene, beta-myrcene (221.5%), and the synthetic musks celestolide (31.0%) and galaxolide (79.6%). Almost all participants (98%) said the replacement products worked as well as their original products, and 90% said that they would consider buying the replacement products in the future. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates that choosing cleaning products that are marketed as green may reduce exposure to several carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Future studies should determine whether use of unscented green products would further reduce exposure to terpenes and musks. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8831.

Situación de los neurotóxicos ambientales en Quito / Situation of environmental neurotoxic agents in Quito

La contaminación del aire tiene un considerable inpacto en la salud humana. En Quito, aproximadamente el 80% de ella proviene de los emisores de los vehículos se han estudiado la evolución de dos contaminantes del aire que son neurotóxicos: plomo y monóxido de carbono. En 1991 el nivel de plomo en sangre de los niños era tres veces mayor de lo normal lo que provocaba una disminución de la velocidad de respuesta cerebral. Dos estudios fueron efectuados 7 y 10 años más tarde, en el periodo que se eliminó el uso de tetraetilo de plomo en la gasolina. Los dos demuestran una mejoría en los niveles sanguíneos. En el año 2000, una muestra de 300 niños fue estudiada para determinar la contaminación por CO. El 92% de los niños del centro de la cuidad presentaron niveles tóxicos de COHB. Los últimos reportes del monitoreo del aire, efactuados en los años 2004 y 2005 reportan niveles menores a la norma en cuanto al CO, principalmente debido a que actualmente los vehículos están equipados con convertidores catalíticos.

Air pollution has a considerable impact on human health. In Quito, approximately 80% of it comes from vehicle emitters. The evolution of two neurotoxic air pollutants has been studied: lead and carbon monoxide. In 1991, children's blood lead level was three times higher than normal, causing a decrease in the speed of brain response. Two studies were conducted 7 and 10 years later, in the period that the use of tetraethyl lead in gasoline was eliminated. Both demonstrate an improvement in blood levels. In 2000, a sample of 300 children was studied to determine CO contamination. 92% of the downtown children had toxic levels of COHB. The latest air monitoring reports, carried out in 2004 and 2005, report lower levels than the norm in terms of CO, mainly because the vehicles are currently equipped with catalytic converters.