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Biomedical subjects

Mark G Robson

Publications and source records attributed to Mark G Robson.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Assessment of barriers to utilization of poison centers by Hispanic/Latino populations.

Previous research suggests that Spanish-speaking parents and residents of areas with large Hispanic and Latino populations are likely to underutilize the assistance that is available through poison control centers (PCCs). In order to examine any real and perceived barriers to utilization of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES), the only poison control center in the state, an intercept survey was conducted with self-identified Hispanics/Latinos at Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) centers and in nearby grocery stores, bus stops, and public laundromats. Only 38% of the study sample (n = 206) had heard of NJPIES. Common ways to have heard of NJPIES included school or church bulletins, family members, and friends. Twenty-three percent knew the NJPIES's toll-free phone number; 23% knew it was available 24 h per day; and 22% knew that Spanish-speaking personnel were available for assistance. Potential barriers to utilization included not knowing the phone number of the poison center, not speaking English, and not knowing if the poison center could offer any help. Respondent-recommended strategies for increasing awareness of NJPIES among Hispanics/Latinos included advertising on TV, and distributing information through school and church bulletins.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Studying health outcomes in farmworker populations exposed to pesticides.

A major goal of studying farmworkers is to better understand how their work environment, including exposure to pesticides, affects their health. Although a number of health conditions have been associated with pesticide exposure, clear linkages have yet to be made between exposure and health effects except in cases of acute pesticide exposure. In this article, we review the most common health end points that have been studied and describe the epidemiologic challenges encountered in studying these health effects of pesticides among farmworkers, including the difficulties in accessing the population and challenges associated with obtaining health end point data. The assessment of neurobehavioral health effects serves as one of the most common and best examples of an approach used to study health outcomes in farmworkers and other populations exposed to pesticides. We review the current limitations in neurobehavioral assessment and strategies to improve these analytical methods. Emerging techniques to improve our assessment of health effects associated with pesticide exposure are reviewed. These techniques, which in most cases have not been applied to farmworker populations, hold promise in our ability to study and understand the relationship between pesticide exposure and a variety of health effects in this population. Key words: biomarkers, cancer, epidemiology, health outcomes, immigrants, neurobehavioral, neuropathy, pesticides.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2006

Farmworker exposure to pesticides: methodologic issues for the collection of comparable data.

The exposure of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families to agricultural and residential pesticides is a continuing public health concern. Pesticide exposure research has been spurred on by the development of sensitive and reliable laboratory techniques that allow the detection of minute amounts of pesticides or pesticide metabolites. The power of research on farmworker pesticide exposure has been limited because of variability in the collection of exposure data, the predictors of exposure considered, the laboratory procedures used in analyzing the exposure, and the measurement of exposure. The Farmworker Pesticide Exposure Comparable Data Conference assembled 25 scientists from diverse disciplinary and organizational backgrounds to develop methodologic consensus in four areas of farmworker pesticide exposure research: environmental exposure assessment, biomarkers, personal and occupational predictors of exposure, and health outcomes of exposure. In this introduction to this mini-monograph, first, we present the rationale for the conference and its organization. Second, we discuss some of the important challenges in conducting farmworker pesticide research, including the definition and size of the farmworker population, problems in communication and access, and the organization of agricultural work. Third, we summarize major findings from each of the conference's four foci-environmental exposure assessment, biomonitoring, predictors of exposure, and health outcomes of exposure-as well as important laboratory and statistical analysis issues that cross-cut the four foci.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2006

The New Jersey Residential Well-Testing Program--a case study: Randolph Township.

Since 1993, several wells have been found to be contaminated in Randolph Township, New Jersey. As a result, the local health department believed there was a need to develop an ordinance that would protect the health of private well users. Samplings of 1,488 private and nonpublic wells in Randolph Township were used to provide the basis for the ordinance proposal. Questionnaires were mailed to homeowners, and samples were collected to be evaluated for the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), coliform bacteria, and other inorganic water quality criteria. Several VOCs were shown to be present in the residential water supplies, with more than half of them being chlorinated hydrocarbons. These chlorinated hydrocarbons are generally utilized in industry, at service stations, and as cleaning agents for septic systems; they were detectable within one quarter of a mile from stationary sources or industrial areas. Similar trends were seen for coliform bacteria and other inorganic products. The health department advised residents at sample sites when contamination was found.

Enterobacteriaceae↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Latent health effects in firefighters.

Firefighter mortality studies that used standardized mortality ratio (SMR) as a summary measure are reviewed and an overview of time-dependent mortality effects for all causes, CAD, cancer, and respiratory deaths is provided. Of 17 studies reporting SMRs for firefighters, three overlapped with larger studies and six did not contain time-dependent data, leaving eight for inclusion. The time effects showed no increased mortality with increasing time employed and time since first employment (latency) for all-cause mortality or any specific cause. There were many causes of death for which firefighters' SMRs were below one through all durations of employment and latency. There was no convincing evidence that employment as a firefighter is associated with increased all-cause, CAD, cancer, or respiratory disease mortality.

Coronary Artery Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Organophosphate pesticide exposures of traditional and integrated pest management farmers from working air conditions: a case study in Thailand.

Concentrations of organophosphate pesticides, including chlorpyrifos and methyl parathion, were measured in ambient air breathed by farmers in Tambon Bang Rieng, Thailand. An exposure assessment and comparison was made between the levels of pesticide exposure of traditional and integrated pest management (IPM) farmers. Thirty-three air samples were collected during pesticide spraying. Traditional farmers were exposed to higher levels of the pesticide(s), with an average concentration of 0.19 mg/m3, compared with 0.037 mg/m3 for the IPM farmers. It was estimated that a farmer of Tambon Bang Rieng would be exposed to 81-12,261 mg of the organophosphate pesticide(s) via inhalation throughout his or her lifetime. Moreover, traditional farmers absorbed more of pesticide via inhalation than did IPM farmers.

Agriculture↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Biological monitoring of organophosphate pesticides in preschool children in an agricultural community in Thailand.

Organophosphate pesticide exposures of preschool children in a Thailand agricultural community and reference children living outside the farm area in the same subdistrict were determined. Levels of dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites were measured in first-morning-void urine samples. During the dry season (April-May), the farm children excreted significantly higher levels of all DAP metabolites than the reference children did (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05; Wilcoxon signed-rank text, p < 0.05). During the wet season (September-October), DAP metabolite levels were similar in the two groups. Reference children showed no significant difference related to season. Pesticide spraying during the dry season is a likely cause of the farm children's organophosphate exposures.

Child, Preschool↗