Biomedical subjects

Yohana Mashalla

Publications and source records attributed to Yohana Mashalla.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among cement factory workers.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed chronic respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among workers exposed to cement dust at a Tanzanian cement factory. METHODS: A total of 120 exposed workers and 107 controls participated in this cross-sectional investigation. Information on demographics, occupational history, chronic respiratory symptoms, smoking habits, and use of respiratory protection equipment was collected by questionnaire. Ventilatory function testing and measurement of personal total dust exposure were also carried out. COPD was diagnosed for workers with chronic bronchitis who also had spirometric airflow obstruction. Chronic respiratory symptoms and COPD were correlated with cumulative total dust exposure and adjusted for age, pack-years, and education. RESULTS: The exposed workers had more chronic cough [odds ratio (OR) 4.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.9-10.4], chronic sputum production (OR 10.8, 95% CI 4.4-26.4.), dyspnea (OR 5.3, 95% CI 1.9-15.2), work-related shortness of breath (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.6-14.2), and chronic bronchitis (OR 5.5, 95% CI 2.0-15.3) than the controls. Chronic cough, chronic sputum production, dyspnea, work-related shortness of breath, and chronic bronchitis were significantly related to cumulative dust exposure of 20.0-99.9 and > or = 100.0 versus <20.0 mg/m3-years. The prevalence of COPD was higher for the exposed group (18.8%) than for the controls (4.8%). The odds ratio for COPD was significantly increased for cumulative dust exposure, > or = 100.0 versus <20.0 mg/m3-years (OR 11.2, 95% CI 2.2-56.0). CONCLUSIONS: Cement workers seem to be at high risk of developing chronic respiratory symptoms and COPD, probably caused by cumulative total dust exposure independent of smoking habits.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2004

Cement dust exposure and ventilatory function impairment: an exposure-response study.

We investigated cumulative total cement dust exposure and ventilatory function impairment at a Portland cement factory in Tanzania. All 126 production workers were exposed. The control group comprised all 88 maintenance workers and 32 randomly chosen office workers. Exposed workers had significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow rate (PEF), FEV1/FVC, FVC%, FEV1% and PEF%, than controls adjusted for age, duration of employment, height, and pack-years. Cumulative total dust exposure was significantly associated with reduced FVC, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and peak expiratory flow rate adjusted for age, height and pack-years. Cumulative total dust exposure more than 300 mg/m year versus lower than 100 mg/m years was significantly associated with increased risk of developing airflow limitation (odds ratio = 9.9). The current occupational exposure limit for total cement dust (10 mg/m) appears to be too high to prevent respiratory health effects among cement workers.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Nutritional variation and cardiovascular risk factors in Tanzania--rural-urban difference.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between dietary factors and cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors in middle-aged men and women, in urban, rural and pastoral settings in Tanzania. DESIGN: Cross-sectional epidemiological study designed according to the protocol of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison (CARDIAC) study. SETTING: Three centres in Tanzania, namely Dar es Salaam (urban), Handeni (rural) and Monduli (pastoral population). SUBJECTS: The subjects, aged 47-57 years, were recruited randomly from administrative lists available from each centre. OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood pressure (BP) was measured using a centrally calibrated automatic BP machine (Khi machine). Dietary history of the participants was obtained using a standard questionnaire designed on the basis of a seven-day recall system. Height, weight, serum total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), haemoglobin A1c, sodium, potassium and magnesium were measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension (BP > or = 140/90 mmHg or antihypertensive drug use), obesity (body mass index (BMI) > or = 30 kg/m2) and hypercholesterolaemia (TC > 5.2 mmol/l) were lowest in the rural area. Consumption of green vegetables, milk, coconut milk, meat, and fish varied significantly between the three areas. Important determinants for BP among men were BMI (p < 0.001), and salt intake (p < 0.05). Among women, TC (p < 0.05), age (p < 0.05), BMI (p < 0.001) and coconut milk consumption (p < 0.001) were important BP determinants. Salt intake was positively associated with systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in men but not among women (both SBP and DBP p < 0.05 respectively). Dietary determinants of serum TC were meat, fish and green vegetable consumption. CONCLUSION: Differences in dietary habits contributed significantly to the urban-rural-pastoral variations in CVD risk pattern in Tanzania.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2002

Prevalence of obesity and dyslipidemia in middle-aged men and women in Tanzania, Africa: relationship with resting energy expenditure and dietary factors.

The prevalence of obesity and dyslipidemia and the mean frequency of intake of selected dietary factors were studied in 545 participants aged 46-58 y and living in three areas in Tanzania. The prevalence of obesity (body mass index of > or = 30 kg/m2) was 22.5% among women and 5.4% among men, p < 0.001. Higher rates of obesity were observed in both men and women in an urban (U) area of Dar. The prevalence of dyslipidemia [(TC-HDL-C)/HDL-C > 5] among men was higher in a pastoralists (P) population of the Maasai in Monduli (22.6%) than in Dar (9.6%) and rural (R) Handeni (7.3%, p < 0.05). The mean resting energy expenditure (REE) was higher in subjects from the rural and pastoralists populations than in urban dwellers (0.024 kcal/min/kg, p < 0.001). The three areas showed different dietary patterns with subjects from the urban area consuming coconut milk (4 d/wk, p < 0.001) and meat (2.5 d/wk, p < 0.05), more often than the rural population of Handeni which had the highest consumption of green vegetables (4.2 d/wk, p < 0.001). Participants from Monduli had the highest consumption of milk per day (1,219 mL/d, p < 0.001). A simple correlation analysis showed that body mass index (BMI) correlated positively with the frequency of intake of coconut milk, fish and meat, and negatively with REE and milk consumption. Total cholesterol (TC) was negatively correlated with the frequency of intake of green vegetables, fish and the REE, and correlated positively with meat consumption and BMI in both genders. Independent of other factors, important contributors to obesity and dyslipidemia in this population were dietary factors such as meat (p < 0.001) and fish (p < 0.05), and a lower REE (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that unhealthy diet and lower energy expenditure are important contributors to obesity and dyslipidemia in Tanzania.

Africa↗