Risk factors for work-related eczema and urticaria among vocational students of agriculture.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Farmers are at high risk of occupational skin diseases which may start already during vocational training. This study was aimed at identification of risk factors for work-related skin diseases among vocational students of agriculture. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 440 students (245 males, 195 females aged 17-21 years) in 11 vocational schools which were at least 100 km from each other. The protocol included a physician-managed questionnaire and medical examination, skin prick tests, patch tests, total IgE and Phadiatop. Logistic regression model was used for the identification of relevant risk factors. RESULTS: Work-related dermatoses were diagnosed in 29 study participants (6.6%, 95%CI: 4.3-8.9%): eczema in 22, urticaria in 14, and co-existence of both in 7 students. Significant risk factors for work-related eczema were: history of respiratory allergy (OR=10.10; p<0.001), history of eczema (itchy rash) provoked by wet work and detergents before entering the school (OR=5.85; p<0.001), as well as history of contact dermatitis to metals, rubber or cosmetics prior to inscription (OR=2.84; p=0.016), and family history of any skin disease (OR=2.99; p=0.013). Significant risk factors for work-related urticaria were: history of allergic rhinitis and asthma prior to inscription (OR=7.29; p=0.006), positive skin prick tests to work place allergens (OR=4.65; p=0.002) and to environmental allergens (OR=3.79; p=0.009), and positive Phadiatop test (OR=3.61; p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Work-related skin diseases are common among vocational students of agriculture. Atopy, past history of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema (either atopic, allergic or irritant) are relevant risk factors for work-related eczema and urticaria in young farmers, along with family history of any skin disease. Positive skin prick tests seem relevant, especially in the case of urticaria. Asking simple, aimed questions during health checks while enrolling students into agricultural schools would suffice to identify students at risk for work-related eczema and urticaria, giving them the chance for selecting a safer profession, and hopefully avoiding an occupational disease in the future.

Association of anthropometric measures of obesity and chronic kidney disease in elderly women.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Growing evidence suggests that obesity is an important contributor to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The relationship between obesity and CKD is complex and not completely understood, and the best anthropometric index of obesity in predicting CKD is controversial. This study aimed to determine the best anthropometric index of obesity in predicting CKD in a population of elderly women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anthropometric indexes of obesity including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WheiR) and waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR), were obtained in 730 selected females. Biochemical measurements including blood glucose, lipid profile, and 2-h postprandial blood glucose were performed. GFR was estimated by using CKD-EPI equation. RESULTS: The prevalence of CKD stage ≥ 3 was 12.2%. Overweight and obesity was found in 50% and 36% of participants, respectively. Increased central fat distribution, as defined by WheiR, WC and WHR, was found in 89.6%, 91.7% and 89.4% individuals, respectively. Univariate linear regression analysis showed positive correlations between CKD and age (p<0.001), BMI (p<0.001), WC (p<0.001), WHR (p=0.007), WheiR (p<0.001), diabetes (p=0.002), as well as triglicerydes (p=0.031), and negative correlation between CKD and HDL level (p=0.017). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that hypertension, diabetes, WC and WheiR were independent predictors of CKD. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was best for WheiR (0.647), followed by WC (0.620), BMI (0.616), and WHR (0.532). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity is an important predictor of CKD. Of commonly used anthropometric parameters of obesity WheiR ≥ 0.6 is particularly associated with CKD in elderly females.

Telemedical systems for home monitoring of patients with chronic conditions in rural environment.

This paper describes the requirements and possible implementations of a telemedical system. The idea of remote patient monitoring is a point of interest for researchers in Poland, and is also in high demand in fields such as diabetology, cardiology, and geriatrics, among others. Aging society, medical care costs and many other factors make remote patient care a promising idea for the future. For each and every condition, a specialized type of sensor must be used to allow specific measurements to be performed. Moreover, a local data storage and communication device must be provided for the sensor to be able to relay data to the station. A smart phone can be used perform such tasks. By implementing such remote diagnostic systems it is possible to collect, process, store and present vital medical data that can be used immediately to perform diagnosis, or later as reference for expert systems. The 'Borboleta' and 'SaguiSaúde' systems already implemented can serve as a base for system analysis. The systems provide necessary functions and can be used as reference. Many factors contribute to the success of the telemedical system, such as ease of access, scalability, safety, platform independence, and many others. For easier implementation and clarity, the system should be divided into independent layers, which will also make it easier to modify and integrate into other medical systems. Making the system easy to use for patients, medical staff, administrators and data managers makes the task of system design especially challenging. One must decide which information is necessary for each type of user and provide them clearly and in an orderly fashion.

Tooth loss among adult rural and urban inhabitants of the Lublin Region.

Dental diseases and tooth loss result in various health, psychological, and even social problems. The objective of the study was determination of the number of missing teeth among adult rural and urban inhabitants of the Lublin Region, and whether or not there is a relationship between missing teeth and place of residence, and other socio-economic factors, such as: gender, age, education level and the occupation performed (farmer/non-farmer). Data concerning the number of missing teeth were collected from 3,388 individuals. The mean number of missing teeth among the respondents in the study was 13.6. This mean value was significantly higher among the rural than urban inhabitants. Tooth loss was significantly more often found among females than males, this relationship being statistically significant only in the subpopulation of rural inhabitants. According to expectations, the largest number of missing teeth was found in respondents aged over 60, among those aged 31-60 this number was nearly 2.5-fold smaller, while the smallest number of missing teeth was observed among respondents aged 18-30. The largest number of missing teeth was noted among respondents who possessed incomplete elementary or elementary education, followed by those with elementary vocational and secondary school/post-secondary school education, whereas this number was the smallest among respondents who had university education level. Farmers had a significantly larger number of missing teeth, compared to respondents who performed non-agricultural occupations. Using an analysis of regression, the relationship was confirmed between the number of missing teeth, and the respondents' gender, age, education level, place of residence, and occupation performed. Discrimination analysis was applied to show the relationship between the occurrence of total edentulism and the respondents' age, gender, education level and place of residence. It was observed that age was the variable which most strongly discriminated the occurrence of this characteristic, followed by education level, as well as gender and place of residence, which were the weakest discriminatory variables.

[Hearing disorders among private farmers in Poland]. / Stan sluchu rolników indywidualnych.

The studies of the state of hearing were conducted among a selected group of 128 farmers, aged 28-65 years with employment ranging from 11 to 40 years. The study design covered physical laryngologic examinations, detailed otologic medical history and proper audiometric tests (air and bone conduction). The results of the study showed that the highest mean values of hearing loss remained mostly within two high frequencies of 4 and 6 kHz and were 34.9-39.7 d B. These frequencies are typical of acoustic trauma. A highly statistically significant correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between hearing loss and age (r = 0.32-0.53 for 3-8 kHz), while a slightly weaker correlation was noted between hearing loss and employment duration (r = 0.20-0.27 for 3-8 kHz; p < 0.01). The mean values of hearing loss obtained among farmers were considerably enhanced, compared to the control group (42 people aged 29-59 years), the difference being very high statistically (p < 0.001). The studies of the state of private farmers' hearing clearly confirm the hypothesis that an excessive exposure to noise present in the farming equipment, is the major cause of the decreased hearing among farmers.