Home-based outsourced informal work by children and adolescents impacts sleep and leisure-a preliminary study

Low levels of potentially toxic elements in workers are associated with self-reported health outcomes

Occupational exposure to toxic elements can adversely affect health. The current study evaluated blood concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE) including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn in formal and informal workers. Additionally, the study investigated the associations between blood PTE concentrations and reported health outcomes in the study population. The exposed group included women engaged in informal jewelry welding within their homes in Limeira, São Paulo state, Brazil (n = 36) and men who worked at a steel company in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (n = 22). The control group comprised residents of the same neighborhoods as the workers but without occupational exposure to chemicals (n = 28 in Limeira; n = 27 in Volta Redonda). Triple Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (TQ ICP-MS) was used to determine PTE concentrations in blood samples. Glycemia, insulin, and lipid profile tests were performed. All participants completed questionnaires on household risk and reported morbidity. The blood concentrations of Cd, As, and Pb, as well as glycemia, were higher in informal workers than in control subjects. No significant differences were observed between formal workers and control subjects. A robust Poisson regression model, adjusted for variables suggested by a Directed Acyclic Graph, disclosed associations of blood lead and arsenic concentrations with the prevalence of neurological manifestations in Limeira. Blood lead levels > 2.6 μg dL-1 were associated with 2.3 times the prevalence of self-reported neurological manifestations (95 % CI: 1.17-4.58; p = 0.02) than lower blood lead concentrations. Furthermore, a positive association between blood cadmium concentrations and glycemia was observed. Informal occupational exposure to these elements may indicate an increased risk of developing diseases. Monitoring exposure and implementing interventions to reduce PTE exposure in the work environment represent significant steps toward prevention.

A comprehensive analysis of children's blood lead levels in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last eight years: Progress and recommendations

In 2017 we published a review on blood lead levels (BLL) in children from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for data available up to 14th of March 2014 and recommended the identification and control of "lead hot spots". In the present study, an evaluation of progress toward reducing BLL in the region was carried out. A systematic review of the latest literature on lead exposure in the LAC region held on the PubMed, Web of Science and LILACS databases (January 2014 to March 2022) was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. Only original papers published in peer-reviewed English, Spanish, or Portuguese journals were eligible. A total of 558 papers were retrieved, 77 of which met the selection criteria and 31 (40.25 %) were carried out in Mexico. The prevalence of children with BLL above 10 μg. dL-1 was 22.08 % in the previous review versus 6.78 % in the current study. In the present review, the prevalence of children with BLL above 5 μg. dL-1 was 29.62 %, and only one study reported a BLL prevalence rate between 3.3 and 5 μg. dL-1. The highest BLLs were associated with well-known sources or occupational exposures. The number of countries (n = 13) that published data on BLL in children was lower compared to the previous review (n = 16). Most studies were conducted in areas with known lead exposure sources, similar to the earlier review. The percentage of children at risk of lead poisoning in the region remains unknown because few studies have published data on environmental exposure levels and most samples were relatively small. The recommendation to identify and control sources of lead exposure was maintained, while further suggestions for establishing a systematic public health surveillance system for lead were proposed to help reduce the knowledge gap and inform public health policy-making in LAC.

Occupational Safety and Health Staging Framework for Decent Work

The 2030 United Nations Goal 8 for sustainable development focuses on decent work. There is utility in identifying the occupational safety and health aspects of Goal 8, as they pertain to the four pillars of decent work: job creation, social protection, rights of workers, and social dialogue. A workgroup of the International Commission on Occupational Health and collaborators addressed the issue of decent work and occupational safety and health (OSH) with the objective of elaborating a framework for guidance for practitioners, researchers, employers, workers, and authorities. This article presents that framework, which is based on an examination of the literature and the perspectives of the workgroup. The framework encompasses the intersection of the pillars of decent (employment creation, social protection, rights of workers, and social dialogue) work with new and emerging hazards and risks related to various selected determinants: new technologies and new forms of work; demographics (aging and gender); globalization; informal work; migration; pandemics; and OSH policies and climate change. The OSH field will need an expanded focus to address the future of decent work. This focus should incorporate the needs of workers and workforces in terms of their well-being. The framework identifies a starting point for the OSH community to begin to promote decent work.

Daytime sleepiness in elementary school students: the role of sleep quality and chronotype

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the occurrence of daytime sleepiness and associated sleep factors in a sample of elementary school students who attended school in the afternoon schedule.

METHODS

Sleep data from 363 Brazilian public school students (12.78 ± 1.36 years, 206 girls) were obtained by applying questionnaires in classrooms. All subjects attended school in the afternoon schedule, with classes starting between 1:00 and 1:20 p.m. Daytime sleepiness was assessed by the pediatric daytime sleepiness scale; sleep quality, by the mini-sleep questionnaire; and sleep patterns and chronotypes, by the Munich chronotype questionnaire. Scores equal to or greater than 15 pediatric daytime sleepiness scale points were considered as excessive daytime sleepiness. The predictive power of sleep variables on daytime sleepiness was evaluated by a multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

The subjects in the sample had an average time in bed greater than nine hours both on school days and on weekends. Nevertheless, 52.1% had an average pediatric daytime sleepiness scale score equal to or greater than 15 points, indicative of excessive daytime sleepiness. As for their quality of sleep, 41.1% had a very altered sleep. We observed, by a multiple linear regression, that quality of sleep (β = 0.417), chronotype (β = 0.174), mid-sleep on school days (β = 0.138), and time in bed (β = - 0.091) were all significant in predicting daytime sleepiness.

CONCLUSION

This study showed the occurrence of excessive daytime sleepiness in non-sleep deprived students who attended school in the afternoon. The worst quality of sleep and eveningness had a greater predictive power on daytime sleepiness than time in bed. Therefore, we must consider other factors in addition to sleep duration when planning interventions for daytime sleepiness.

Study of controlled migration of cadmium and lead into foods from plastic utensils for children

Lead (Pb) is a highly neurotoxic chemical element known for reducing intelligence quotient (IQ) and promoting antisocial behavior in children and adolescents, while cadmium (Cd) is a carcinogenic bioaccumulative element. Both these metals are included in the priority pollutant list of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and in the WHO List of Chemicals of Major Public Health Concern, where contaminated foods and beverages are the most common pathways of exposure. The objective of this study was to determine total Cd and Pb levels in colored plastic utensils (cups, mugs, bowls, feeding bottles, and plates) for use by children and to measure the specific migration of these elements into beverages and foods. Total contaminant levels were determined using a handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer. Specific migration tests were conducted using the simulant solutions acetic acid 3% (m/v) and water. Migration levels were determined by ICP-MS. Specific migration tests for Pb were also performed on commercially available samples (cola soft drink, orange juice, vinegar, and milk), with levels determined by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). A total of 674 utensils were analyzed in loco at major commercial centers in Greater São Paulo, of which 87 were purchased for containing Cd and Pb concentrations above permitted limits. Mean concentrations of the metals detected in the purchased utensils were 1110 ppm for Pb and 338 ppm for Cd. For specific migration assays, Pb levels were 187, 13, and 380 times above the permitted limit (0.01 mg.kg -1) for acetic acid, water, and orange juice, respectively. Cd levels were 50 and 2.4 times above the maximum permitted limit (0.005 mg.kg -1) for acetic acid and water, respectively. The districts where the utensils were purchased were grouped according to their social vulnerability index and compared using ANOVA. Pb levels were different between low and medium/high social vulnerability groups (p = 0.006). The findings corroborate the initial hypothesis that these utensils constitute a major source of exposure to PTEs such as Cd and Pb, pointing to the need for stricter regulation and inspection by the Brazilian regulatory agencies.

Relationship between suicide risk, and violence tendency and eating attitude in working and non-working adolescents: a comparative study

Although adolescent suicide rates increase significantly, the suicide risk and associated factors in working adolescents is generally neglected. In the present study, it was aimed to determine suicide risk and related factors such as violence tendency and eating attitude in working and non-working adolescents. This case-control study was conducted with 325 adolescents (161 working adolescents, 164 non-working adolescents) between November 2018 and January 2019, in Turkey. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Suicide Probability Scale, Violence Tendency Scale and Eating Attitude Test. In the study, the suicide risk was significantly higher in working adolescents (80.79 ± 29.99) than in non-working adolescents (71.90 ± 26.46). Also, working adolescents were determined to be at more risk in terms of violence tendency, eating disorder and substance use than were non-working adolescents. According to linear regression analysis, sex, mother's attitude, presence of a physical or mental illness, alcohol use, violence tendency and eating attitude were statistically significant predictive factors of suicide risk in working adolescents. Researchers, healthcare professionals, educators and policymakers have important responsibilities to improve the mental health of working adolescents.