[Health care status of female workers exposed to occupational hazards in Haidian district of Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the health care status of female workers exposed to occupational hazards in Haidian district of Beijing and improve the labor protection of female workers. METHODS: A questionnaire provided by National Center for Women and Children's Health of Chinese CDC was used in the survey conducted to collect information about health care status of female workers in 141 factories with occupational hazards including chemical poisons and physical factors (noise, libration, microwave, high frequency and low temperature). RESULTS: 141 factories were investigated, including 53 state-owned enterprises, 21 collective enterprises, 46 joint-stock enterprises, and 21 non-public enterprises. 12 251 female workers were surveyed, 10.19% (1249/12 251) of whom were exposed to occupational hazards. Of 141 factories studied, 16.31% (23/141) had no labor protection management organization.27.66% (39/141) did not provide pre-employment physical examination service to female workers.48.94% (69/141) didn't establish labor protection system for female workers in menstrual period. While, 21.28% (30/141) of the studied institutes deducted some salaries in the pregnancy, and 32.62% (46/141) deducted their wages during the puerperal period. 2.13% (3/141) arranged female workers in the posts which are forbidden by law (continuous heavy work load operation).9.93% (14/141) arranged pregnant female workers on the post forbidden by law.31.91% (45/141) and 33.33% (47/141) would deduct the time of prenatal medical examination and lactation from their working hours, respectively.39.01% (55/141) didn't afford the cost of fertility. 68.09% (96/141) had annual gynecological examination.45 factories were collected occupational examination reports, accounted for 31.91% (45/141). No female workers were found suffering from occupational disease. Of the 1865 occupational hazard factor monitoring points in 34 factories, there were 155 monitoring points, which were all noise monitoring points, did not meet the standard. CONCLUSION: The current health-care status of female workers is not optimistic. It is necessary to consistently improve health care legislations, establish coordinated management mechanism and strengthen the publicity of policy to protect female workers.

Subclinical cerebellar anterior lobe, vestibulocerebellar and spinocerebellar afferent effects in young female lead workers in China: computerized posturography with sway frequency analysis and brainstem auditory evoked potentials.

By computerized static posturography with sway frequency analysis, subclinical effects of lead on postural balance was examined in 29 female workers (lead workers) employed at a glass factory for 3-17 (mean 7.9) years in Beijing, China, in relation to brainstem function assessed by brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP). Their blood lead concentrations ranged from 26 to 79 (mean 55.7) microg/dl; ages were 21-30 (mean 28) years. Control subjects, aged 22-29 (mean 27.0) years, were 14 healthy female workers at a textile factory located in the same district. With eyes closed, power of the sway of high (2-4 Hz) and low (1 Hz or less) frequencies in lead workers was significantly larger than that in controls; with eyes open, their power of the sway of low frequency was significantly larger (p<0.05). The multiple regression analysis showed that the power of high frequency sway with eyes closed and of low and high frequencies with eyes open were significantly related to blood lead concentrations in lead workers (p<0.05). On the other hand, no significant differences in BAEP latencies between lead workers and controls were observed. The low frequency sway with eyes open was significantly correlated with the high frequency sway with eyes closed in the lead workers. The pattern of changes in postural balance suggested that the anterior cerebellar lobe, vestibulo-cerebellar and spinocerebellar afferent systems were affected asymptomatically in female lead workers; the sway of vestibulo-cerebellar and anterior cerebellar lobe types were simultaneously affected by lead. It appears that a computerized static posturography with sway frequency analysis is useful technique for assessment of subclinical lead neurotoxicity.