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Exposure to chemicals and particles generated in automotive repair shops is a common and underestimated problem. The objective of this study was to assess the genotoxic status of auto repair workers with (1) a questionnaire to gather sociodemographic information and self-reported exposure to hazardous chemicals and (2) measurement of various biochemical parameters. Blood and oral mucosa samples were collected from 174 male volunteers from Barranquilla, Colombia, aged 18–55 years: 87 were active car repairmen and 87 were individuals with no known exposure to hazardous chemicals. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were collected for the comet and cytokinesis-blocking micronucleus (CBMN) assays, while oral mucosal epithelium extracted to quantify micronucleated cells (MNC). DNA was extracted to assess polymorphisms in the DNA repair (XRCC1) and metabolism-related genes (GSTT1 and GSTM1) using PCR-RFLP. DNA damage and frequency of micronuclei (MN) in lymphocytes and oral mucosa were significantly higher in exposed compared to control group. In both groups genotypes and allelic variants for XRCC1 and GSTT1 met the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). In contrast, GSTM1 deviated from HWE. In the exposed group genotypic variants were not correlated with DNA damage or MN presence in cells. DNA damage and occurrence of MN in mucosa and lymphocytes correlated with age and time of service (occupational exposure ≥ 3 years). In summary, workers in car repair shops exhibited genotoxic effects depending upon exposure duration in the workplace which occurred independent of DNA repair XRCC1 gene and metabolism genes GSTT1 and GSTM1. Date demonstrate that health authorities improve air quality in auto repair facilities to avoid occupational DNA damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim was to determine the possible association between food insecurity and the sociodemographic conditions of families in the rural area of Pueblo Nuevo, Córdoba, Colombia. It was a cross-sectional study using surveys to collect sociodemographic and food insecurity data in a rural area of Pueblo Nuevo, Córdoba, Colombia in which 391 families were surveyed to obtain relevant information. The Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) survey was applied to evaluate the food security of the families. A descriptive analysis of qualitative and quantitative variables, and polyserial correlations to establish relationships between food insecurity and sociodemographic variables was held. Only 5 families (1%) showed adequate food security (AFS), while 235 families were in the severe food insecurity (SFI) category. Positive correlations were observed between types of food security and educational level (P<0.023), family income (P<0.001), and household size (P=0.002). A high prevalence of food insecurity was evident in the studied families, influenced by household size, lack of income, and low educational levels., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Publicado por Elsevier España S.L.U. All rights reserved.)