Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3)
Copper saturation pathways of the urban population in the Czech Republic
Puklová V., Černá M., Šmíd J., Kožíšek F., Kratzer K., Ruprich J., Řehůřková I., Kotlík B., Zimová M.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):119-125
The estimation of the copper saturation pathways of the Czech urban population is presented. The data on copper concentrations proceed from the System of monitoring the environmental impact on population health in the Czech Republic in the period 1994-1998. The copper concentrations were monitored in foodstuffs from the commercial network, in drinking water at the outlets of the waterworks and in the public water main networks, and in the ambient air. The copper levels were measured also in biological material to obtain the data on the copper saturation of the population under monitoring. The copper intake from foodstuffs and drinking water did not...
Cohort study on low physical activity level and recurrent acute respiratory infections in schoolchildren
Jedrychowski W., Maugeri U., Flak E., Mroz E., Bianchi I.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):126-129
The purpose of the study was to explain childhood respiratory infections in terms of life-style factors like being overweight or physically inactive. In the course of the cohort study we gathered data on respiratory health of 1028 preadolescent children in Krakow. Recurrent acute respiratory infections (RARI) in children have been defined as frequent spells (10 or more infections) over the two-year follow-up. In scoring the physical activity level, the data on regularly exercising sport and the number of hours spent daily TV watching or doing homework have been used. Excessive weight was based on the BMI index. In the total sample, the RR estimates...
Investigation of noise exposure effect on heart rate variability parameters
Tzaneva L., Danev S., Nikolova R.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):130-132
This paper deals with the study of the effect of 135 min exposure to noise with intensity Leq 95 dB(A) in experimental conditions. Three experimental sessions: before, at the onset, and at the end of the noise exposure were conducted. The comparison of heart rate variability (HRV) parameters before and on the onset of the experiment showed tendency for significant decrease of the cardiointervals variability parameters: standard deviation (SD), sum of positive differences between successive cardiointervals (S), total wave energy in the cardiotachogram (S*Ns), mean difference between successive cardiointervals (V). Statistically significant increase...
Comparison of the indoor air quality in mould damaged and reference buildings in a subarctic climate
Hyvärinen A., Reponen T., Husman T., Nevalainen A.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):133-139
The purpose of this study was to search for objective parameters most relevant to indicate microbial problems of buildings in cold climate. Various indoor characteristics were compared in nine buildings with known history of moisture problems and visible mould (index) and in nine matched reference buildings. The concentrations of airborne viable fungal had a clear difference between the two groups of buildings. In this study, airborne concentrations of viable bacteria, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and the occurrence of house dust mites in these index buildings were compared with the levels of the pollutants in matched reference...
The chemical composition of African haze
Wippel R., Pichler-Semmelrock F.P., Köck M., Haas G., Kosmus W.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):140-144
The LAMMA technique (Laser Microprobe Mass Analyzer) is a valuable and powerful technique for the analysis and characterization of particulate air pollutants. At seven sites in Zimbabwe, Africa, dust particles were collected and 200 single particles were analyzed for each sampling point. The main chemical species present in the particles are Na+, K+, Cl-, NO3- and SO42-. Beside these, soot particles, containing carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were found. Biomass burning was identified as the major source of the dust particles what is in accordance with the assumed...
Proposed standard definition for child overweight and obesity
Vignerová J., Lhotská L., Bláha P.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):145-146
The prevalence of obesity in child population is becoming a serious problem in all advanced countries. Therefore many authors try to find a definition according to which it would be possible to assess overweight and obesity in examined subjects in a simple manner. The simplest way is to plot the subject's data in a percentile zone of reference data according to his BMI value. The problem is dealt with e.g. by Cole et al. (1) who defined internationally acceptable standards of BMI for children and adolescents from 0-18 years. These standards are, however, based only on six national studies and on the assumption that in the population of 18-year-olds...
Smoking and some life-style changes in medical students - Slovakia, 1995-1999
Baška T., Straka Š., Maďar R.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):147-149
INTRODUCTION: The main goal of a questionnaire cross-sectional study was to compare the changes of smoking habits in medical students between 1995 and 1999. Beside this, other factors of life-style such as alcohol consumption, nutritional status [studied through body mass index (BMI)] and citrus consumption were studied. METHODS: Cross-sectional questionnaire study in 453 medical students of 1st to 5th academic years of the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Martin, Slovakia, carried out in October and November 1999. Data on smoking habit were compared with a similar study carried out in 1995. RESULTS:...
Study of lung cancer and residential radon in the Czech Republic
Tomášek L., Müller T., Kunz E., Heribanová A., Matzner J., Plaček V., Burian I., Holeček J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):150-153
Epidemiological evidence of lung cancer risk from radon is based mainly on studies of men employed underground in mines where exposures are relatively high in comparison to indoor exposure. Risk from residential radon can be estimated from occupational studies. Nevertheless, as such extrapolations depend on a number of assumptions, direct estimation of the risk is needed. The present study of lung cancer mortality was designed as a follow-up of a population (N = 12,004) in a radon prone area of the Czech Republic covering the period 1960-1999. Information on vital status and causes of death were obtained mostly from local authorities and from the national...
Viral water contamination as the cause of aseptic meningitis outbreak in Belarus
Amvrosieva T.V., Titov L.P., Mulders M., Hovi T., Dyakonova O.V., Votyakov V.I., Kvacheva Z.B., Eremin V.F., Sharko R.M., Orlova S.V., Kazinets O.N., Bogush Z.F.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):154-157
In the recent years Echovirus-30 associated outbreaks have taken place in different European countries. Aseptic meningitis caused by Echovirus-30 was the main diagnosis of a large outbreak in Belarus in Summer-Autumn, 1997, involving 460 patients. Echovirus-30 was detected in cerebrospinal fluid of the patients with aseptic meningitis. This serotype played the dominant role in the outbreak. Minor serotypes and mixtures of enteroviruses were detected in faeces and nasopharyngeal lavages. Investigation of environmental samples gave evidence of expressed viral contamination of drinking water and water sources (river and ground sources). River water sources...
Serological evidence of brucellosis among predisposed patients with pyrexia of unknown origin in the north eastern Nigeria
Baba M.M., Sarkindared S.E., Brisibe F.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):158-161
Brucellosis is the zoonosis of world wide distribution and common cause of economic loss and ill health among animals and human populations. Patients with pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) who were predisposed to brucellosis through rearing of animals and consumption of different animal products were tested for presence of Brucella abortus antibodies using Rose Bengal and serum agglutination antigens. Twenty six (5.2 %) of the 500 patients had B. abortus antibody. The high titres of 320, 640 and 1280 obtained in the sera of patients in this study are suggestive of the endemicity of the disease in this environment. No significant difference in age and...
Microbial contamination of eye drops
Taşli H., Coşar G.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2001, 9(3):162-164
The microbial contamination of eye drops at the Eye Clinic was studied. In total, 92 eye drop bottles were examined. 43 bottles were opened and used and 49 were unopened and sealed. The contamination rate was found to be 10.2 % in unopened bottles and 34.8 % in opened bottles. The opened bottles had been used for two weeks. Six of the samples yielded coagulase-negative Staphylococci and nine samples yielded one or two different microorganisms. The contamination rate in bottles containing the preservative benzalkonium chloride was 34.4 %. Among unopened eye drop bottles two samples yielded S. aureus, two coagulase-negative Staphylococci and one Bacillus spp.