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Agricultural workers, designated as "essential" at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, work in harsh labor conditions, and now have the added challenge of continuing to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess agricultural workers' COVID-19 related history, employer-based safety measures, individual preventive practices, and COVID-19 vaccination uptake. A questionnaire study was conducted among agricultural workers in Central Florida about COVID-19 during the month of June 2020 and again in July 2021. Among 92 agricultural workers in June 2020, 47% were obese; 11% had had a COVID-19 nasal test; 87% were able to social distance at work and 34% reported employer provided face masks; 15% reported not willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine and 25% were unsure. 40% could self-isolate if they contracted COVID-19. In a follow-up visit in July 2021, 53% of participants reported receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to existing health risk factors and lack of essential protective resources. Occupational health protections social safety net programs are urgently needed to prevent infections in vulnerable workers, and reduce community spread, and increase COVID-19 vaccination rates.

Introduction: Agricultural workers perform intense labor outside in direct sunlight and in humid environmental conditions exposing them to a high risk of heat-related illness (HRI). To implement effective cooling interventions in occupational settings, it is important to consider workers’ perceptions. To date, an analysis of agricultural workers’ experience and perception of cooling devices used in the field while working has not been published. Methods: Qualitatively data from 61 agricultural workers provided details of their perceptions and experiences with cooling interventions. Results: The participants in the bandana group reported the bandana was practical to use at work and did not interfere with their work routine. Cooling vest group participants agreed that the vest was effective at cooling them, but the practicality of using the vest at work was met with mixed reviews. Conclusion: The findings of this qualitative study support and extend existing research regarding personal cooling and heat prevention research interventions with vulnerable occupational groups. Personal cooling gear was well received and utilized by the agricultural workers. Sustainable heat prevention studies and governmental protection strategies for occupational heat stress are urgently needed to reduce the risk of heat-related morbidity, mortality, and projected climate change health impacts on outdoor workers.

Background Adverse health effects among agricultural workers due to chronic heat exposure have been characterized in the literature as not only due to high ambient temperatures but also due to intensive manual labor in hot and humid conditions. The aim of this study was to use biomonitoring equipment to examine the effectiveness of selected cooling devices at preventing agricultural workers from exceeding the core body temperature threshold of 38.0°C (Tc38) and attenuating heat-related illness symptoms. Methods A convenience sample of 84 agricultural workers in Florida was randomized to one of four groups: (a) no intervention, clothing as usual; (b) cooling bandana; (c) cooling vest; and (d) both the cooling bandana and cooling vest. Biomonitoring equipment worn by the participants included core body temperature monitor and an accelerometer to capture physical activity. Findings A total of 78 agricultural workers completed one intervention workday trial. Compared with the control group, the bandana group had lower odds of exceeding Tc38 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.7, 90% confidence interval [CI] = [0.2, 3.2]) and the vest group had higher odds of exceeding Tc38 (OR = 1.8, 90% CI = [0.4, 7.9]). The simultaneous use of cooling vest and bandana showed an effect little different from the control group (OR = 1.3, 90% CI = [0.3, 5.6]). Conclusion/Application to Practice This is the first field-based study to examine cooling intervention among agricultural workers in the United States using biomonitoring equipment. This study found that using a bandana while working in a hot agricultural environment has the potential to be protective against exceeding the recommended Tc38 threshold.

(1) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were widely produced in the United States until 2004 but remain highly persistent in the environment. The potential for PBDEs to disrupt normal neuroendocrine pathways resulting in depression and other neurological symptoms is largely understudied. This study examined whether PBDE exposure in pregnant women was associated with antenatal depressive symptomatology. (2) Data were collected from 193 African American pregnant women at 8–14 weeks gestation. Serum PBDEs and depressive symptoms were analyzed and a mixture effect was calculated. (3) Urban pregnant African American women in the Southeastern United States had a high risk of depression (27%) compared to the National average. Increased levels of PBDEs were found. BDE-47 and -99 exposures are significantly associated with depressive symptomatology in the pregnant cohort. The weighted body burden estimate of the PBDE mixture was associated with a higher risk of mild to moderate depression using an Edinburgh Depression Scale cutoff score of ≥10 (OR = 2.93, CI 1.18, 7.82). (4) Since antenatal depression may worsen in postpartum, reducing PBDE exposure may have significant clinical implications.

Background Since its founding, professional nursing has applied an environmental lens to healing. Methods This CANS 2020 Keynote article describes the history of nursing environmental science and nurses important contributions to the US Environmental Justice Movement. Starting with Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, which established Environmental Theory, the paper introduces key figures throughout nursing history who have studied and advocated for environmental health and justice. Findings The paper emphasizes that nursing has always been about environmental health and that, regardless of specialty or practice setting, all nurses are called to incorporate environmental science and translation into their research and practice. Conclusion This call to action is especially critical today in the context of urgent issues like climate change, environmental racism and racial health disparities, emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19, and chemical exposures in the home and workplace (among others).

Background There is a compelling need to identify agricultural workers at risk for heat related illness (HRI). Methods Data from Florida agricultural workers (N = 221) were collected over 3 summer workdays (2015 to 2017) to examine risk factors for exceeding NIOSH-recommended core temperature (Tc) thresholds (38 °C [Tc38] and 38.5 °C [Tc38.5]) using generalized linear mixed models. Results On an average workday, 49% of participants exceeded Tc38 and 10% exceeded Tc38.5. On average, participants first exceeded both thresholds early in the day; the Tc38 threshold mid-morning (10:38 AM), and Tc38.5 about a half hour later (11:10 AM). Risk factors associated with exceeding Tc38 included years working in US agriculture, body mass index, time performing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, increasing heat index, and field crop work. Conclusions The high prevalence of core temperatures exceeding recommended limits emphasizes the serious need for mandated HRI prevention programs for outdoor workers.

Background The purpose of this systematic review is to examine cooling intervention research in outdoor occupations, evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions, and offer recommendations for future studies. This review focuses on outdoor occupational studies conducted at worksites or simulated occupational tasks in climatic chambers. Methods This systematic review was performed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to identify original research on intervention studies published in peer-reviewed journals that aimed at reducing heat stress or heat-related illness from January 2000 to August 2020. Results A systematic search yielded a total of 1042 articles, of which 21 met the inclusion criteria. Occupations with cooling intervention studies included agriculture (n = 5), construction (n = 5), industrial workers (n = 4), and firefighters (n = 7). The studies focused on multiple types of cooling interventions cooling gear (vest, bandanas, cooling shirts, or head-cooling gel pack), enhanced heat dissipation clothing, forearm or lower body immersion in cold water, water dousing, ingestion of a crushed ice slush drink, electrolyte liquid hydration, and modified Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendations of drinking water and resting in the shade. Conclusion Current evidence indicates that using multiple cooling gears along with rest cycles may be the most effective method to reduce heat-related illness. Occupational heat-related illnesses and death may be mitigated by targeted cooling intervention and workplace controls among workers of vulnerable occupational groups and industries.

Objectives To analyze the predictors of health care utilization among respondents to the National Agricultural Worker Survey. Specifically, we hypothesized that English proficiency would predict utilization of health care services within the last 2 years. Methods Using the 2015-2016 National Agricultural Worker Survey, we performed a secondary data analysis to analyze the predictors of health care utilization within the last 2 years in the United States' agricultural worker population. Data were cleaned and analyzed using decision tree analysis, which produced a classification tree model that was trained on 90% of the data and validated on 10%. Results Exposure to English was not a predictor of health care utilization in our classification tree. The first major partition that predicted utilization was insurance status. Additional partitions were on age, gender, hypertension diagnosis, and public aid. Conclusions By partitioning on insurance status and use of public aid, the decision tree provided evidence that systemic factors are key determinants of health care utilization in the agricultural worker community. This highlights the importance of agencies that connect agricultural workers with resources that provide insurance and improve access to health care. This is especially important given that agricultural workers are one of the highest risk groups for occupational injury or death in the United States.

Purpose To review factors that impact the effect of hot environments on the human body in order to develop a conceptual model of human biological response. Methods The organizing concept for the model development was the multilevel integration of three major factors, exposure to heat, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, and the heat stress response. Exposure of a vulnerable occupational group was used to illustrate the components of the model. Findings Components of this framework include the hazard (environmental heat stress), vulnerability factors (workplace exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity), and the heat stress response. The combination of the vulnerability factors of workplace exposure (work intensity, duration), sensitivity (age, gender, etc.), and adaptive capacity (hydration, clothing, work hygiene) mediate a worker's heat stress response to the hazard. A worker's heat stress response can be classified as progressing towards two outcomes: physiologic equilibrium or physiologic disequilibrium. Conclusions This framework provides a starting point for the design and development of studies of heat-related illness (HRI) in farmworker and other vulnerable populations exposed to rising global temperatures. Clinical Relevance Identification of vulnerability factors to HRI, informs research designs which will lead to the development of public health interventions.

Human exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has become common as a result of widespread application of these chemicals to the food supply, environmental contamination, and occupational exposures (Caserta et al., 2011). However, relatively little is known about the effects of EDCs such as ethylene thiourea (ETU) in developing fetuses and the lasting implications of this disruption on human development from birth through adulthood. Of highest concern are chronic, low-dose exposures among industrial and agricultural workers. Current knowledge regarding the significance of endocrine thyroid signaling on normal human development raises serious concerns about the possible deleterious effects of EDCs in the developing fetus, children, and mature adults. Occupational health nurses are critical in identifying women and families at increased risk of ETU exposure and mitigating early exposures in pregnancy.

The objective of this study was to assess work-related hygiene practices and the frequency and location of skin rashes due to cutaneous contact with crop-associated materials (e.g., pesticides) for female nursery and fernery workers in Central Florida. A cross-sectional, community-based participatory research study of 237 female nursery and fernery workers between the ages of 19 and 43 years with significant cutaneous contact with foliage crops was conducted using a self-report questionnaire and a skin rash chart assessment tool. Of the 237 farmworkers surveyed, 37.1% ( n = 88) reported a rash on at least one area of their bodies. Women who were pregnant during the study were 4.7 times more likely to report more than 30% total body surface area (TBSA) covered by rash compared with non-pregnant fernery workers ( p = .045; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.04, 21.35]). Further research is needed to better understand the development of skin rashes among farmworkers, to generate effective prevention strategies.

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of field-based biomonitoring of heat-related illness (HRI) phenomena in Florida farmworkers. The authors determined feasibility through participant interviews regarding acceptability, data capture, recruitment and retention, and observed barriers and challenges to implementation.Study participants were employed in fernery operations in northeast Central Florida where ornamental ferns are grown and harvested in a seasonally high-heat environment. In this pilot, a total of 43 farmworkers participated during summers 2012 and 2013 and measurements included body core temperature, heart rate, energy expenditure, urine and blood osmolality, and self-reported HRI symptoms.Data capture was approximately 90%. Participants reported that the study methods were nonobtrusive to their work, and that they were comfortable with study measures.These results open possibilities for characterizing HRI utilizing physiologic biomonitoring in vulnerable occupational groups.

Background Laboring in hot and humid conditions is a risk factor for heat-related illnesses. Little is known about the amount of physical activity performed in the field setting by agricultural workers, a population that is among those at highest risk for heat-related mortality in the United States. Methods We measured accelerometer-based physical activity and work activities performed in 244 Florida agricultural workers, 18 to 54 years of age, employed in the fernery, nursery, and crop operations during the summer work seasons of 2015-2017. Environmental temperature data during the participant's workdays were collected from the Florida Automated Weather Network and used to calculate wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). Generalized linear mixed model regression was used to examine the association between WBGT on physical activity, stratified by the agricultural sector. Results Fernery workers had the highest overall volume of physical activity, spending nearly 4 hours in moderate to vigorous activity per workday. Activity over the course of the workday also differed by the agricultural sector. A reduction on average physical activity with increasing environmental temperature was observed only among crop workers. Conclusions The quantity and patterns of physical activity varied by the agricultural sector, sex, and age, indicating that interventions that aim to reduce heat-related morbidity and mortality should be tailored to specific subpopulations. Some workers did not reduce overall physical activity under dangerously hot environmental conditions, which has implications for policies protecting worker health. Future research is needed to determine how physical activity and climatic conditions impact the development of heat-related disorders in this population.

Background: Girasoles is an academic–community partnership investigating heat-related illness (HRI) among farm-workers. An unexpected outcome is health screening and intervention for participants without access to health care. Objectives: We present a case of renal failure in a farmworker, detected during data collection, to illustrate how academic–community collaboration can result in clinical benefits for study participants. Methods: Girasoles is examining physiologic responses to heat stress, associated vulnerability factors, and HRI symptoms. Data include blood pressure, fasting and non-fasting blood glucose, blood creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and urine dipsticks. Participants with out-of-range findings are referred to local health care providers. Results: During two summers, health screenings of 192 workers resulted in 71 referrals (37%) for conditions to be rechecked and treated. One of these referrals involved chronic renal failure requiring extensive follow-up by research team members. Conclusions: The case of renal failure illustrates the value of collaborative research as a health intervention with vulnerable populations.

To examine changes in health beliefs, pesticide safety knowledge, and biomarkers of pesticide exposure in indigenous farmworkers who received enhanced pesticide safety training compared with those receiving the standard training.Farmworkers in Oregon were randomly assigned to either a promotors pesticide safety training program or a standard video-based training. Spot urine samples were analyzed for dialkyl phosphate urinary metabolites. Pre-/postintervention questionnaires were used to measure pesticide safety knowledge, health beliefs, and work practices.Baseline to follow-up improvements in total pesticide knowledge scores were higher in the promotor group than in the standard video group. Pairwise differences in mean concentrations of dialkyl phosphate metabolite levels showed declines from baseline to follow-up for both intervention groups.Results showed reductions in pesticide exposure in indigenous-language speaking farmworkers who received enhanced pesticide safety training.

While the impact of active maternal smoking during pregnancy on child health has been well investigated, the association between maternal passive smoking, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), or second-hand smoke, and behavioral development of offspring is less clear. This study examines the association between maternal ETS exposure during pregnancy and child behavior problems.Cross-sectional data of 646 mother-child pairs from the Jintan China Cohort Study were used in the analyses. Mother's exposure to tobacco smoking at home, the workplace, and other places during pregnancy (for the determination of maternal ETS exposure) and children's behaviors (via Child Behavior Checklist) were assessed when the children were 5-6 years old. Logistic regression models were constructed to examine associations between maternal exposure to ETS during pregnancy and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, adjusting for potential cofounders including child sex and parental characteristics.37% of mothers reported ETS during pregnancy. Children of mothers exposed to ETS during pregnancy had higher scores for externalizing and total behavior problems, with 25% of children whose mothers were exposed to ETS compared to 16% of children of unexposed mothers. After adjusting for potential confounders, ETS exposure was associated with a higher risk of externalizing behavior problems in offspring of exposed mothers (OR=2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-3.43). Analysis after multiple imputations and sensitivity analysis further verified the association, but no dose-response relationship was found. ETS exposure, however, was not associated with internalizing or total behavior problems.This study suggests that maternal ETS exposure during pregnancy may impact child behavioral development, particularly externalizing behaviors.

Occupational pesticide exposure may be hazardous to pregnant farmworkers, yet few studies have focused on the health of female farmworkers distinct from their male counterparts or on the impact of agricultural work tasks on pregnancy outcomes. In the current community-based participatory research study, researchers conducted five focus groups with female nursery and fernery workers in Central Florida to enhance knowledge of attitudes about occupational risks and pregnancy health and to gather qualitative data to help form a survey instrument. This article presents the results from questions focused on pesticide exposure and its impact on general, reproductive, pregnancy, and fetal health. Workers reported a belief that pesticide exposure could be hazardous to pregnancy health; descriptions of symptoms and health concerns believed to be related to farmwork and to pesticide exposure; and descriptions of barriers preventing them from practicing safer occupational behaviors.

High levels of exposure to phthalates have been associated with an increased risk for adverse male fetal reproductive development. Although animal studies have consistently demonstrated reproductive health effects, additional human epidemiological studies are needed to fully understand the potential harm to humans. Recent findings reported for humans have demonstrated endocrine-disrupting action similar to that associated with phthalate exposures in animals. As a result, phthalate exposure is an emerging public health concern that warrants further review. This article explores the state of the science on phthalate exposure, reviews the literature, and provides recommendations occupational health nurses can use to optimize the health of susceptible populations.

High levels of exposure to phthalates have been associated with an increased risk for adverse male fetal reproductive development. Although animal studies have consistently demonstrated reproductive health effects, additional human epidemiological studies are needed to fully understand the potential harm to humans. Recent findings reported for humans have demonstrated endocrine-disrupting action similar to that associated with phthalate exposures in animals. As a result, phthalate exposure is an emerging public health concern that warrants further review. This article explores the state of the science on phthalate exposure, reviews the literature, and provides recommendations occupational health nurses can use to optimize the health of susceptible populations.

The attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 resulted in hazardous environmental exposures of enormous magnitude, bringing about persistent respiratory and psychological problems among survivors. Approximately 40,000 men and women worked at Ground Zero, the former site of the World Trade Center in New York City, and at the Staten Island landfill, the main wreckage depository, in the days, weeks, and months following 9/11. First responders such as firefighters and police, construction workers, and utility and public sector workers were involved. These individuals were at high risk for injury, respiratory complications, and psychological distress from the traumatic event. This article highlights the controversy surrounding 9/11 research and reports, identifies populations at high risk for exposure, and examines the health effects. Occupational health nurses should not only be empowered to provide the best care for workers affiliated with 9/11, but also contribute to research to protect worker health in future disaster responses.

Personal care items including lotions, perfumes, deodorants, shampoos, and cosmetics are sources of phthalate exposure. Women of childbearing age, children, and beauty salon workers are at greater risk for exposure. Occupational health nurses are in an ideal position to rally support for improved regulatory laws and for funding of evidence-based research that will reduce phthalate exposures and improve client health. Occupational health nurses must support the establishment and implementation of procedures for workplace safety inspections among susceptible populations. Information regarding reduction of overall phthalate exposure must be available for clients. Resources like phthalate-free product lists can be valuable tools in helping clients make informed decisions about alternatives to phthalates.

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.

The authors conducted factor analysis on survey data from 1,779 Persian Gulf War veterans. Their purposes were to: 1) determine whether factor analysis identified a unique "Gulf War syndrome" among veterans potentially exposed to chemical warfare agents; 2) compare the findings of factor analysis with those from an epidemiologic analysis of symptom prevalence; and 3) observe the behavior of factor analysis when performed on dichotomous data. The factor analysis identified three factors, but they were not unique to any particular deployment group. A unique pattern of illness was not found for the larger group of veterans potentially exposed to chemical warfare agents; however, veterans who had witnessed the demolition of chemical warfare agents at the Khamisiyah site in Iraq had a greater prevalence of dysesthesia. An analysis of the performance of dichotomous variables in factor analysis showed that the standard criteria used to determine the number of relevant factors and the dominant variables within them may be inappropriate. While Gulf War veterans appear to suffer an increased burden of illness, there is insufficient evidence to identify a unique syndrome in this population of deployed servicemen and women. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that factor analysis may make a limited contribution in this area of research.

The agricultural industry has some of the highest incidence rates and numbers of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States. Injuries and illnesses in agriculture result from accidents, falls, excessive heat, repetitive motion and adverse pesticide exposure. Women working in agriculture are exposed to the same hazards and risks as their male counterparts, but can face additional adverse impacts on their reproductive health. Yet, few occupational risk assessment studies have considered the reproductive health of female farmworkers. The objective of this community-based participatory research study was to conduct a retrospective, cross-sectional survey to collect information on workplace conditions and behaviors and maternal, pregnancy and infant health outcomes among a sample of female nursery and fernery farmworkers in Central Florida. Survey results showed that nursery workers were more likely to report health symptoms during their pregnancy than fernery workers. We also observed a self-reported increased risk of respiratory illness in the first year of life for infants whose mothers worked in ferneries. Our findings confirm that agricultural work presents potential reproductive hazards for women of childbearing age.

OBJECTIVE:: To compare workplace characteristics, workplace behaviors, and the health beliefs of female farmworkers of childbearing age with actual biomarkers of exposure to organophosphate pesticides and to the fungicide mancozeb. METHODS:: Hispanic and Haitian farmworkers between the ages of 18 and 40 years working in nursery or fernery operations were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional survey, examining demographics, work practices, work-related hygiene, and pesticide exposure beliefs. Single-void (spot) urine samples were analyzed for organophosphate and ethylenethiourea metabolites. RESULTS:: Women in nurseries worried less frequently about the effects of pesticides on their health than those in fernery operations. In summary, organophosphate and ethylenethiourea levels in nursery workers were significantly higher than levels in fernery workers and the control group. CONCLUSIONS:: Results showed that perceived pesticide exposure did not correspond to actual metabolite levels within differing agricultural subpopulations. Language: en

Although agricultural workers have elevated risks of heat-related illnesses (HRI), pregnant farmworkers exposed to extreme heat face additional health risk, including poor pregnancy health and birth outcomes. Qualitative data from five focus groups with 35 female Hispanic and Haitian nursery and fernery workers provide details about the women's perceptions of HRI and pregnancy. Participants believe that heat exposure can adversely affect general, pregnancy, and fetal health, yet feel they lack control over workplace conditions and that they lack training about these specific risks. These data are being used to develop culturally appropriate educational materials emphasizing health promoting and protective behaviors during pregnancy.

Objective: The potential health consequences of exposure to nanomaterials have yet to be elucidated though increasing evidence points to the potential for nanomaterials to cause adverse human health effects. This workshop addressed the feasibility of developing studies to measure health risks among nanomaterial workers. Methods: Breakout groups discussed different epidemiologic designs and methods to encourage companies to collect and retain exposure and health data. Results: Major challenges include defining and recruitment of appropriate study populations and obtaining adequate exposure data. Both prospective cohort studies and small cross-sectional panel studies utilizing biomarkers of exposure and effect offer approaches to study occupational groups. Conclusions: Potential exists to assemble cohorts to study the human health effects associated with nanomaterial exposure. Stakeholder partnerships are critical to the success of these studies and international partnerships hold great potential.

Background Previous studies have shown that fasting increases lead absorption in the gastrointestinal tract of adults. Regular meals/snacks are recommended as a nutritional intervention for lead poisoning in children, but epidemiological evidence of links between fasting and blood lead levels (B-Pb) is rare. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between eating a regular breakfast and B-Pb among children using data from the China Jintan Child Cohort Study. Methods Parents completed a questionnaire regarding children's breakfast-eating habit (regular or not), demographics, and food frequency. Whole blood samples were collected from 1,344 children for the measurements of B-Pb and micronutrients (iron, copper, zinc, calcium, and magnesium). B-Pb and other measures were compared between children with and without regular breakfast. Linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the association between regular breakfast and log-transformed B-Pb. The association between regular breakfast and risk of lead poisoning (B-Pb≥10 μg/dL) was examined using logistic regression modeling. Results Median B-Pb among children who ate breakfast regularly and those who did not eat breakfast regularly were 6.1 μg/dL and 7.2 μg/dL, respectively. Eating breakfast was also associated with greater zinc blood levels. Adjusting for other relevant factors, the linear regression model revealed that eating breakfast regularly was significantly associated with lower B-Pb (beta = -0.10 units of log-transformed B-Pb compared with children who did not eat breakfast regularly, p = 0.02). Conclusion The present study provides some initial human data supporting the notion that eating a regular breakfast might reduce B-Pb in young children. To our knowledge, this is the first human study exploring the association between breakfast frequency and B-Pb in young children.

Laboratory animal allergy is a relatively common work-related condition occurring in an estimated one-third of laboratory animal workers. More than 10% of these workers develop occupational asthma. Sensitization often occurs in the first 3 years of employment. Risk factors include a personal or family history of atopy, other preexisting non-work-related allergies, and a significant exposure to laboratory animals. Inhalation is the most common route of exposure, followed by skin and eye exposures. Preplacement testing and regular health surveillance screening may be used by institutions employing laboratory animal workers to identify, monitor, and prevent allergies and disease in these workers. Intervention and prevention techniques (i.e., engineering, administrative, and work practice controls and personal protective equipment) are key to controlling and preventing allergy symptoms and occupational asthma. Occupational health professionals play an important role in the early identification of at-risk and affected employees, and can render the necessary treatment, referrals, education, and recommendations to prevent debilitating illness.

Objective: A probabilistic model was used to analyze the cumulative risk of occupational hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among U.S. public safety workers. Methods: A model for the career risk of HCV was developed using the frequency of parenteral exposures to blood, the population seroprevalence of HCV, and the risk of seroconversion after exposure. Estimates of key input variables were obtained from published studies. Results: Calculated estimates of the 30-year risk of infection ranged from < 0.1 % for police, firefighters, and corrections officers to 1.9% among paramedics and emergency department personnel in high-risk communities. Infrequent exposure to high-risk blood seems to present a greater risk of infection than more frequent contact to low-risk populations. Conclusions: Use of a probabilistic risk assessment model using published data can assist in policy decisions designed to protect the health and safety of workers. Further efforts to document the frequency of occupationally acquired HCV are needed.