RESUMEN
Objectives: Incense burning is a well-known practice in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures for ceremonial and religious purposes. The excessive use of incense burning has become a critical environmental health concern. The incense sellers are more exposed to incense allied air pollution. This study examines the association between prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in incense sellers. Methods: This cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia" during the period July 2019 to January 2020. After medical history and examinations had been performed, a total of 265 non-smoking volunteers male incense sellers were selected. American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria were followed, people with "HbA1c less than 5.7% were considered normal; HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% were pre-diabetics, and HbA1c > 6.4% were considered people with diabetes". In shops, the incense sellers were exposed to incense-related pollution for 8 hours daily, seven days a week. The mean age for the participants was 25±5.5 years, and body mass index was 19±2.8 (kg/m)2. Results: In incense sellers, the pre-diabetic was 125 (47.2%), and diabetes was 75 (28.3%). However, 65 (24.5 %) incense sellers were without prediabetes and diabetes. There was an increase in HbA1c levels with increasing working exposure to incense shops. Conclusions: The prevalence of pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetes was increased in incense sellers. The prevalence of pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetes was further increased with the increasing working duration of incense sellers. The study findings call for safe practice and avoiding indoor burning incense. It is suggested that well-ventilated areas with proper masks for the workers may reduce the incense-related pollution effects.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Excessive use of mobile phones has raised a great concern about adverse health effects on human health. The present study's aim was to investigate the association of the usage of smartphones with cognitive function impairment in the Saudi adult population. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during September 2019 to January 2020. A total of 251 Saudi adults who were using mobile phones were recruited, and knowledge, attitude and practices were assessed by interview using a predesigned proforma. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) tool was employed to assess the cognitive functions, comparison was made between daily mobile phone usage group and their correlated Montreal Cognitive Score (MOCA). RESULTS: The mean age for 251 Saudi adult participants was 32.43 ± 12.8 years. More than 80% of the participants used their mobile phone for more than two hours daily. About 61% of the participants were not aware of the side effect of the radiation generated from mobile phone. The participants showed a decrease in MOCA score with increased daily mobile phone usage (MOCA=26.8 for <1 hour daily usage, 26.1 for 1-2 hours, and 24.6 for >2 hours with P< 0.05). In addition, participants showed decreased MOCA score by keeping their mobile phone near their pillow while sleeping; MOCA=24.35 for near pillow groups and >25.5 for the groups that placed their mobile phone away from the pillow. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive use of mobile phones can cause cognitive function impairment. Strict policies must be implemented to control the use of smartphones in order to minimize the effects on mobile phone radiation on cognition. The media has to be on the forefront in educating the public about the proper usage of mobile phones.
