Sozial- und Praventivmedizin最新文献

The Geneva rule was the first one in Switzerland to introduce the concept of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). This assessment constitutes a decision making aid which describes the process set up to allow evaluation of potential environmental impact and comparison of possible variants, recommends the choice for the best option and suggests the precautions to take. It presents much resemblances to HIA. In this case therefore the application of SEA in the urban planning project MICA has been presented. It is in this framework that a first experience of integration HIA to the SEA process was realized. In an additional way to SEA, HIA is focused on the following fields of potential impact: transport and movements, housing, public facilities, water management.

HIA is based on the theory of health determinants, which recognizes that well-being is determined by a wide range of economic, social and environmental factors, by heredity and medical intervention. The intended HIA procedure represents a new approach to the evaluation of all cantonal policies in order to assess their potential health impacts and to improve the quality of governmental decisions, through recommendations to enhance predicted positive health impacts and minimize negative ones.

Objectives: To provide current reference values for serum lipid and lipoprotein levels in Spanish adolescents according to age and sex.

Methods: A cross sectional study conducted in five representative Spanish cities (Granada, Madrid, Murcia, Santander and Zaragoza) including a representative sample of 581 adolescents (299 male and 282 female), aged 13 to 18.5 years. Age- and sex-specific means, standard deviations and percentiles were determined for: Total (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDLc) and low density lipoprotein (LDLc) cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-1 and B-100, and lipoprotein(a).

Results: The 90th percentile for TC was 4.95 mmol/L for males and 5.19 mmol/L for females. HDLc levels were significantly higher in females of all age groups. LDLc levels ranged from 2.32 to 2.54 mmol/L in males and from 2.38 to 2.62 mmol/L in females, peaking at 13 years of age in both sexes. Triglyceride levels tended to increase gradually and to peak at 17 years of age for both sexes. Apolipoprotein A-1 and B-100 levels paralleled those of HDLc and LDLc values, respectively. The geometric mean for lipoprotein(a) levels ranged from 0.44 to 0.57 micromol/L in males and from 0.50 to 0.67 pmol/L in females.

Conclusions: The present study provides reference data on the distribution of lipid and lipoprotein levels of Spanish adolescents.

Objectives: A survey was undertaken among Swiss occupational hygienists and other professionals to identify the different exposure assessment methods used, the contextual parameters observed and the uses, difficulties and possible developments of exposure models for field application.

Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 121 occupational hygienists, all members of the Swiss Occupational Hygiene Society. A shorter questionnaire was also sent to registered occupational physicians and selected safety specialists. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results: The response rate for occupational hygienists was 60%. The so-called expert judgement appeared to be the most widely used method, but its efficiency and reliability were both judged with very low scores. Long-term sampling was perceived as the most efficient and reliable method. Various determinants of exposure, such as emission rate and work activity, were often considered important, even though they were not included in the exposure assessment processes. Near field local phenomena determinants were also judged important for operator exposure estimation.

Conclusion: Exposure models should be improved to integrate factors which are more easily accessible to practitioners. Descriptors of emission and local phenomena should also be included.

Objectives: To determine the effects of an exercise intervention in workplace health promotion, WHO multidimensional quality of life was chosen as the main outcome variable. Secondary outcomes were different physical fitness indicators.

Methods: 110 employees (83 male, 27 female, modus age group 36-45 years) volunteered to participate and were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 52) or control group (n = 58). Intervention subjects exercised 13 weeks, at leisure time, in off-worksite training facilities. Outcome measures were assessed before and after the intervention, and at 3 month follow-up.

Results: Significant training effects resulted for overall perception of quality of life, and for psychological and physical health sub-domains. Physical strength indicators improved significantly as well, with these changes being independent from psychological health benefits. At follow-up, elevated psychological scores held steady only for those who continued to exercise on their own.

Discussion: This intervention had impact on important health indicators. Since it was arranged on top of a "real world" occupational health promotion program, the observed findings should even more encourage employers to invest in their employees' health.