Biomedical subjects

Marit Skogstad

Publications and source records attributed to Marit Skogstad.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Airborne exposure and biological monitoring of bar and restaurant workers before and after the introduction of a smoking ban.

The aims were to assess the impact of a total smoking ban on the level of airborne contaminants and the urinary cotinine levels in the employees in bars and restaurants. In a follow up design, 13 bars and restaurants were visited before and after the implementation of a smoking ban. Ninety-three employees in the establishments were initially included into the study. The arithmetic mean concentration of nicotine and total dust declined from 28.3 microg m(-3) (range, 0.4-88.0) and 262 microg m(-3) (range, 52-662), respectively, to 0.6 microg m(-3) (range, not detected-3.7) and 77 microg m(-3) (range, not detected-261) after the smoking ban. The Pearson correlation coefficient between airborne nicotine and total dust was 0.86 (p < 0.001; n = 48). The post-shift geometric mean urinary cotinine concentration declined from 9.5 microg g(-1) creatinine (cr) (95% CI 6.5-13.7) to 1.4 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 0.8-2.5) after the ban (p < 0.001) in 25 non-snuffing non-smokers. A reduction from 1444 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 957-2180) to 688 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 324-1458) was found (p < 0.05) in 29 non-snuffing smokers. The urinary cotinine levels increased from 11.7 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 7.0-19.6) post-shift to 21.9 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 13.3-36.3) (p < 0.01) in the next morning in 24 non-snuffing non-smokers before the smoking ban. A substantial reduction of airborne nicotine and total dust was observed after the introduction of a smoking ban in bars and restaurants. The urinary cotinine levels were reduced in non-smokers. The decline found in smokers may suggest a reduction in the amount of smoking after intervention. In non-smokers cotinine concentrations were higher based on urine sampled the morning after a shift than based on urine sampled immediately post-shift.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Hearing thresholds among young professional divers: a 6-year longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Diving is associated with pressure effects and noise exposure that can impair hearing. We were interested in finding out whether changes in hearing thresholds were related to cumulative exposure in young professional divers. METHODS: In a prospective follow-up design, we studied a cohort of 47 men from the beginning of their education as professional divers at a mean age of 25.6 yr (range 18-38 yr). They had audiograms taken at baseline, after 1 and 3 yr, and finally after 6 yr, during which they performed 40-1458 (median 184) sea dives, most of them to a depth of 10 m or less. The hearing tests measured pure tone air conduction thresholds at 0.25-8.0 kHz in a sound-treated booth. Annual change of hearing thresholds were calculated by fitting linear regression lines to individual data. For purposes of analysis, the divers were divided into two groups, low-exposure (199 or fewer dives, n = 26) and high-exposure (200 or more dives, n = 21). RESULTS: Hearing was better in the divers than in the general population at baseline and follow-up. At 6 yr, significant reductions were found in the divers' hearing at 4 kHz and 8 kHz. Significant increases in thresholds were found at 0.5, 2, 3, and 6 kHz for the right ear and 3, 4, and 6 kHz for the left ear. The annual change at 4 kHz was 0.95 dB in the left ear and 0.18 dB in the right ear (p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in hearing changes between the high- and low-exposure groups. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that a mild hearing impairment can occur in young professional divers due to occupational and other noise exposure.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Lung function over six years among professional divers.

AIMS: To analyse longitudinal changes in pulmonary function in professional divers and their relation with cumulative diving exposure. METHODS: The study included 87 men at the start of their education as professional divers. At follow up one, three, and six years later, 83, 81, and 77 divers were reexamined. The median number of compressed air dives in the 77 divers over the follow up period was 196 (range 37-2000). A group of non-smoking policemen (n = 64) were subjected to follow up examinations in parallel with the divers. Assessment of lung function included dynamic lung volumes, maximal expiratory flow rates, and transfer factor for carbon monoxide (Tl(CO)). The individual rates of change of the lung function variables were calculated by fitting linear regression lines to the data, expressed as percent change per year. RESULTS: The annual reductions in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expired volume in one second (FEV(1)) were 0.91 (SD 1.22) and 0.84 (SD 1.28) per cent per year in divers, which were significantly higher than the reductions in the policemen of 0.24 (SD 1.04) and 0.16 (SD 1.07) per cent per year (p < 0.001). The annual reduction in the maximal expiratory flow rates at 25% and 75% of FVC expired (FEF(25%) and FEF(75%)) were related to the log(10) transformed cumulative number of dives in a multiple regression analysis (p < 0.05). The annual reductions in Tl(CO) were 1.33 (SD 1.85) and 0.43 (SD 1.53) per cent per year in divers and policemen (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: FVC, FEV(1), maximal expiratory flow rates, and Tl(CO) were significantly reduced in divers over the follow up period when compared with policemen. The contrasts within and between groups suggest that diving has contributed to the reduction in lung function.

Accidents, Occupational↗