Back pain in migrant farmworker families and farmworker high school students from Starr County, Texas

Back symptoms are a major global public health problem with the lifetime prevalence ranging between 50-80%. Research suggests that work-related factors contribute to the occurrence of back pain in various industries. Despite the hazardous nature, strenuous tasks, and awkward postures associated with farm work, little is known about back injury and symptoms in farmworker adults and children. Research in the United States is particularly limited. This is a concern given the large proportion of migrant farmworkers in the United States without adequate access to healthcare as well as a substantial number of youth working in agriculture. The present study describes back symptoms and identifies work-related factors associated with back pain in migrant farmworker families and farmworker high school students from Starr County, TX. Two separate datasets were used from two cohort studies "Injury and Illness Surveillance in Migrant Farmworkers (MANOS)" (study A: n=267 families) and "South Texas Adolescent Rural Research Study (STARRS)" (study B: n=345). Descriptive and inferential statistics including multivariable logistic regression were used to identify work-related factors associated with back pain in each study. In migrant farmworker families, the prevalence of chronic back pain during the last migration season ranged from 9.5% among youngest children to 33.3% among mothers. Chronic back pain was significantly associated with increasing age; fairly bad/very bad quality of sleep while migrating; fewer than eight hours of sleep at home in Starr County, TX; depressive symptoms while migrating; self-provided water for washing hands/drinking; weeding at work; and exposure to pesticide drift/direct spray. Among farmworker adolescents, the prevalence of severe back symptoms was 15.7%. Severe back symptoms were significantly associated with being female; history of a prior accident/back injury; feeling tense, stressed, or anxious sometimes/often; lifting/carrying heavy objects not at work; current tobacco use; increasing lifetime number of migrant farmworker years; working with/around knives; and working on corn crops. Overall, results support that associations between work-related exposures and chronic back pain and severe back symptoms remain after controlling for the effect of non-work exposures in farmworker populations. ^

An ecologic comparison study of the impact of economic disadvantage on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills performance, graduation rates, and readiness for higher education for students attending public and charter schools in Texas from 2004 to 2006

Purpose. No Child Left Behind aimed to "improve the academic achievement of the disadvantaged." The primary research question considered how academic achievement of those from economic disadvantage compared to those not from disadvantage? ^ Economically disadvantaged students can potentially have added academic disadvantage. Research shows low academic achievement can potentially result in drug abuse, youth violence, and teen pregnancy. ^ Methods. To compare the student populations, measures included TAKS results and academic indicator data collected by the Texas Education Agency. ^ Results. T-test analyses showed a significant difference between the economically and non-economically disadvantaged student populations in meeting the TAKS passing standard, graduation, and preparation for higher education.^ Conclusions. The achievement gap between students remained as indicated by the Texas testing program. More research and time are needed to observe if the desired impact on those from economic disadvantage will be reflected by academic achievement data.^

Years of potential life lost among Hispanics and non-Hispanics in Bexar County

While numerous studies have found similar mortality rates for Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic whites, surprisingly little is known about years of potential life lost (YPLL) differentials in mortality. The primary purpose of this paper is to quantify the effect that YPLL has on Hispanics in order to determine if YPLL differs between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. Using YPLL may bring attention to dissimilarities that are often obscured through traditional measures. Bexar County 2000-2004 data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Unit was analyzed for the descriptive analysis and 2003 Bexar County Multiple Cause Death data was analyzed for the regression analysis. The multiple regression models were used to examine Hispanic and non-Hispanic white differences in years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 75 from all-causes of death. For this analysis, YPLL was regressed on ethnicity, education level and marital status for men and women. The descriptive analysis found YPLL from all-causes was greater among non-Hispanic whites than Hispanics. However, the regression analysis found Hispanics lost more year of potential from all-causes of death compared to non-Hispanic whites. This indicates that the effect of ethnicity on YPLL differs for different methods of analysis. Future research efforts should keep in mind the method of analysis when using YPLL. Understanding differences in mortality among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites is important for targeting future health policies and research to aid in eliminating Hispanic health disparities. ^

Variation of genotype and prevalence of Noro virus in U.S. students in Mexico with Traveler's Diarrhea, summer of 2004 and 2005

Noro virus, a positive single stranded RNA virus has been identified as a major etiologic agent in food borne gastroenteritis and diarrheal diseases. The emergence of this organism as a major non-bacterial cause in such outbreaks is partly due to the improved diagnostic tools like Reverse Transcription Polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) that enable its detection. Noro virus accounts for nearly 96% of non-bacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks in US (1). Travelers' Diarrhea (TD) has remained a constant public health risk in the developed nations for decades and bacteria like Entero toxigenic Escherichia coli, Entero aggregative Escherichia coli have been described as the main etiologic agents for TD (2-4). A possible viral contribution to TD has been discovered in two studies (5, 6). The current study was designed to determine the prevalence of Noro virus in a population of 107 US students with TD acquired in Mexico in 2005 and to compare the prevalence to the prevalence of Noro virus in a similar study done in 2004. This study involved the testing of clinical stool specimens from 107 subjects in 2005 for the presence of Noro virus using RTPCR. The prevalence of Noro virus in 2004 used for comparison to 2005 data was obtained from published data (5). All subjects were recruited as TD subjects in a randomized, double-blinded clinical trial comparing a standard three day dosing of Rifaximin with and without an anti motility drug Loperamide. The prevalence of Noro virus geno group I was similar in both years, but geno group II prevalence differed across the two years (p = 0.003). This study finding suggests that the prevalence of Noro virus geno groups varies with time even within a specific geographic location. This study emphasizes the need for further systematic epidemiologic studies to determine the molecular epidemiology and the prevalence patterns of different geno groups of this virus. These are essential to planning and implementation of public health measures to lessen the burden of TD due to Noro virus infection among US travelers. ^

The epidemiology of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C virus infection among college students who are not US/Canadian born in Houston

Introduction. A vast majority of studies conducted in both developed and developing nations have focused on the epidemiology of HBV (Hepatitis B virus) and HCV (Hepatitis C virus) in high-risk populations; low-risk populations have been neglected. Recently Hwang et al conducted a unique large cross-sectional study in American university students that focused on cosmetic procedures and drug use for acquiring these infections among a low-risk young adult population In Houston. ^ Methods. This study is a secondary data analysis of the cross-sectional study conducted by Hwang et al. Data for this anonymous study were collected from 7,960 college students, among whom were the 2,561 non US/Canadian born students included in this study. All students completed a self-administered questionnaire and provided a blood sample. The epidemiology of HBV/HCV and risk factors for acquiring HBV/HCV infection was studied by comparing those with HBV/HCV infection versus those without. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the data. ^ Results. Overall prevalence of HBV and HCV infections were 22% and 0.8% respectively. By multivariable analysis, the factors that were independently associated with increased prevalence of HBV infection were increasing age per year (OR=1.06, 95% C.I=1.04-1.08), Black or Asian race (OR=6.21, 95% C.I=3.14-12.27), history of household contact with hepatitis (OR=1.87, 95% C.I=1.15-3.05), and having sexual partner with hepatitis (OR=5.20, 95% C.I=1.5-18.00). For HCV these factors included increasing age per year (OR= 1.08, 95% C.I=1.03-1.14), history of blood transfusion prior to 1991 (OR=25.45, 95% C.I=7.58-85.40), and Injection drug use. (OR=78.15, 95% C.I=12.19-500.85). Cosmetic procedures like tattooing were not significant risk factors for either HBV or HCV infection. ^ Conclusions. In a low-risk adult foreign born population, cosmetic procedures are not significant risk factors for HBV or HCV infection. The prevention strategies of these infections in this population should focus on safe sexual practices/abstinence and HBV vaccination should be provided to adolescents and sexually active adults. ^

A cross-sectional study of disparities in suicide ideation between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white female adolescents

Suicide is recognized as a major public health and clinical problem in the United States. One fifth of adolescents in the United States seriously consider suicide each year, and about 8% of high school students attempt suicide at least once. Hispanic ethnicity constitutes a risk factor for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, with Hispanic females at highest risk. Nevertheless, published studies on suicidal behavior in Hispanic female adolescents are extremely limited and focus on suicidal ideation in school samples. Given the severity of the problem and the paucity of information on this topic, more research on ethnic differences in suicidal ideation in community samples of high-risk children is urgently needed. This cross-sectional study delineated differences in suicide ideation between Hispanic female adolescents and non-Hispanic white female adolescents attending a mental health clinic and examined the association of ethnicity with suicide ideation independent of other known risk factors. Data were accrued between June 2004 and December 2008 in a Harris County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Association (MHMRA) clinic. Data were limited to adolescents who were Harris County Residents between the ages of 10 to 17 years when they were admitted to the clinic. The objective of this study was to determine whether differences in socio-demographic and clinical variables play a significant role in ethnic disparities in suicide ideation. A series of logistic regressions were performed to estimate the association between ethnicity and suicide ideation after controlling for potentially confounding factors. ^ Results showed an interaction between Hispanic ethnicity and having a history of treatment: Hispanic girls having history of treatment had lower odds of having suicide ideation than Hispanic girls without such a history. After adjusting for treatment history, family problems, substance use, juvenile justice involvement, current treatment, and age, Hispanic girls had 1.86 times the odds of having suicide ideation than non Hispanic girls (OR=1.86, 95% CI=0.88-1.46). Although additional studies on community samples of high risk adolescents are needed to verify these findings, our study highlights the fact that Hispanic girls are at significantly higher risk and need to be targeted for prevention and treatment efforts. ^

CIGARETTE SMOKING AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RURAL AREAS OF THAILAND

The purpose of this study was to identify the smoking prevalence among high school students in rural areas of Thailand and the factors associated with their smoking habits. The sample population was comprised of 946 volunteer students of both sexes enrolled in the twelfth grade classes of the 1981-82 school year in randomly chosen regional public high schools throughout the country. Data were obtained from a formal self-administered questionnaire survey. The comparisons were treated by classified smoking habits as "non-smoker," "trier," "ex-smoker," and "smoker."^ The study presented the low rate of cigarette smoking habits among female students, compared to male students. Significant differences of smoking-related habits were found among those who had exemplar models for smoking habits; fathers, siblings and peers were their reference groups. Parental approval was found to be a significant factor associated with students' smoking habits. The awareness of health hazards, the perceptions of the influence of cigarette advertisement, and the attitudes toward the concerns of government in cigarette manufacturing were also factors associated with cigarette smoking habits of high school subjects. ^

Understanding mental illness in Nigeria: Bringing culture and traditional medicine into mental health policy

One of the major challenges in treating mental illness in Nigeria is that the health care facilities and mental health care professionals are not enough in number or well equipped to handle the burden of mental illness. There are several barriers to treatment for individual Nigerians which include the following: such as the lack of understanding of the root causes of mental illness, lack of financial support to get mental treatment, lack of social support (family, friends, neighbors), the fear of stigmatization concerning being labeled as mentally ill or being in association with the mentally ill, and the consultation of traditional native healers who may be unknowingly prolonging illness, rather than addressing and treating them due to lack of formal education and standardization of their treatments. Another barrier is the non-health nature of the mental health services in Nigeria. Traditional healers are essentially the mental health system. The elderly, women, and children are the most vulnerable groups in times of strife and hardships. Their mental well-being must be taken into account as well as their special needs in times of personal or societal crisis. ^ Nigerian mental health policy is geared toward forming a mental health system, but in actuality only a mental illness care system is the observed result of the policy. The government of Nigeria has drafted a mental health policy, yet its actual implementation into the Nigerian health infrastructure and society waits to be materialized. The limited health legislation or policy implementations tend to favor those who have access to these urban areas and the facilities' health services. Nigerians living in rural areas are at a disadvantage; many of them may not even be aware of services available to help them understand and treat mental illness. Perhaps, government driven health interventions geared toward mental illness in rural areas would reach an underserved Nigerians and Africans in general. Issues with political instability and limited infrastructure often hinder crucial financial resources and legislation from reaching the people that are truly in need of governmental leadership in regards to mental health policy.^ Traditional healers are a severely untapped resource in the treatment of mental illness within the Nigerian population. They are abundant within Nigerian communities and are meeting a real need for the mentally ill. However, much can be done to remove the barriers that prevent the integration of traditional healers within the mental health system and improve the quality of care they administer within the population. Mental illness is almost exclusively coped with through traditional medicine practices. Mobilization and education from each strata of Nigerian society and government as well as input from the medical community can improve how traditional medicine is utilized as a treatment for clinical illness and help alleviate the heavy burden of mental illness in Nigeria. Currently, there is no existing policy making structure for a working mental health system in Nigeria, and traditional healers are not taken into account in any formulation of mental health policy. Advocacy for mental illness is severely inadequate due to fear of stigmatization, with no formally recognized national of regional mental health association.^

Prevalence of symptoms of neurotoxicity and potential occupational pesticide and solvent exposures among high school students in Starr County, Texas: A pilot study

Numerous harmful occupational exposures affect working teens in the United States. Teens working in agriculture and other heavy-labor industries may be at risk for occupational exposures to pesticides and solvents. The neurotoxicity of pesticides and solvents at high doses is well-known; however, the long term effects of these substances at low doses on occupationally exposed adolescents have not been well-studied. To address this research gap, a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data was completed in order to estimate the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of neurotoxicity among a cohort of high school students from Starr County, Texas, a rural area along the Texas-Mexico border. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate the association between work status (i.e., no work, farm work, and non-farm work) and symptoms of neurotoxicity, while controlling for age, gender, Spanish speaking preference, inhalant use, tobacco use, and alcohol use. The sample included 1,208 students. Of these, the majority (85.84%) did not report having worked during the prior nine months compared to 4.80% who did only farm work, 6.21% who did only non-farm work, and 3.15% who did both types of work. On average, students reported 3.26 symptoms with a range from 0-16. The most commonly endorsed items across work status were those related to memory impairment. Adolescents employed in non-farm work jobs reported more neurotoxicity symptoms than those who reported that they did not work (Mean 4.31; SD 3.97). In the adjusted multivariable regression model, adolescents reporting non-farm work status reported an average of 0.77 more neurotoxicity symptoms on the Q16 than those who did not work (P = 0.031). The confounding variables included in the final model were all found to be factors significantly associated with report of neurotoxicity symptoms. Future research should examine the relationship between these variables and self-report of symptoms of neurotoxicity.^

Assessing how middle school students' nutrient intake varies based on the availability of a la carte offerings at lunch

Purpose: School districts in the U.S. regularly offer foods that compete with the USDA reimbursable meal, known as `a la carte' foods. These foods must adhere to state nutritional regulations; however, the implementation of these regulations often differs across districts. The purpose of this study is to compare two methods of offering a la carte foods on student's lunch intake: 1) an extensive a la carte program in which schools have a separate area for a la carte food sales, that includes non-reimbursable entrees; and 2) a moderate a la carte program, which offers the sale of a la carte foods on the same serving line with reimbursable meals. ^ Methods: Direct observation was used to assess children's lunch consumption in six schools, across two districts in Central Texas (n=373 observations). Schools were matched on socioeconomic status. Data collectors were randomly assigned to students, and recorded foods obtained, foods consumed, source of food, gender, grade, and ethnicity. Observations were entered into a nutrient database program, FIAS Millennium Edition, to obtain nutritional information. Differences in energy and nutrient intake across lunch sources and districts were assessed using ANOVA and independent t-tests. A linear regression model was applied to control for potential confounders. ^ Results: Students at schools with extensive a la carte programs consumed significantly more calories, carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fat, calcium, and sodium compared to students in schools with moderate a la carte offerings (p<.05). Students in the extensive a la carte program consumed approximately 94 calories more than students in the moderate a la carte program. There was no significant difference in the energy consumption in students who consumed any amount of a la carte compared to students who consumed none. In both districts, students who consumed a la carte offerings were more likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, chips, and pizza compared to students who consumed no a la carte foods. ^ Conclusion: The amount, type and method of offering a la carte foods can significantly affect student dietary intake. This pilot study indicates that when a la carte foods are more available, students consume more calories. Findings underscore the need for further investigation on how availability of a la carte foods affects children's diets. Guidelines for school a la carte offerings should be maximized to encourage the consumption of healthful foods and appropriate energy intake.^

Comparison of health behaviors of Mexican American and non -Hispanic White females: Implications for health promotion programs

Hispanics form the second-largest minority group in the United States totaling 22 million people. Health data on this population are sparse and inconsistent. This study seeks to determine use of preventative services and risk factor behaviors of Mexican American and non-Hispanic White females residing in South Texas.^ Baseline data from female respondents in household surveys in six South Texas counties (Ramirez and McAlister, 1988; McAlister et al., 1992) were analyzed to test the following hypotheses: (1) Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White females exhibit different patterns of health behaviors; (2) Mexican American females will exhibit different health behaviors regardless of age; and (3) the differences between Mexican American women and non-Hispanic White females are due to education and acculturation factors.^ Over the past decade, the traditional behaviors of Mexican American females have begun to change due to education, acculturation, and their participation in the labor force. The results from this study identify some of the changes that will require immediate attention from health care providers. Results revealed that regardless of ethnicity, age, education, and language preference, non-Hispanic White females were significantly more likely to participate in preventive screening practices than were Mexican American females. Risk factor analysis revealed a different pattern with Mexican American females significantly more likely to be non-smokers, non-alcoholic drinkers, and to have good fat avoidance practices compared to non-Hispanic White females. However, compared to those who are less-educated or Spanish-speaking, Mexican American females with higher levels of education and preference for speaking English only showed positive and negative health behaviors that were more similar to the non-Hispanic White females. The positive health behaviors that come with acculturation, e.g., more participation in preventive care and more physical activity, are welcome changes. But this study has implications for global health development and reinforces a need for "primordial" prevention strategies to deter the unwanted concomitants of economic development and acculturation. Smoking and drinking behaviors among Mexican American females need to be kept at low levels to prevent increased morbidity and premature deaths in this population. ^

Recovery of traditional mortars in the laboratory of materials at the school of architectura of Madrid

The Laboratory of Materials seminar is an optional course offered to students in the School of Architecture in Madrid. It is taught during 35 class hours in the laboratory of materials distributed in two hours and forty minutes weekly. One of the working lines is the preparation of traditional mortars made by students groups, each one of 4 or 5 members. It is basically a practical course, and students have to prepare a group of tests pieces in order to confirm the initial hypothesis, or when needed, make innovations. The test pieces are of 150mmx150mmx10mm and applied to big size hollow bricks, prismatic test pieces of 40mmx40mmx160mm to apply physical and mechanical tests and brick wallings of varied dimensions.

The introduction of teaching innovations into the traditional teaching of construction and building materials

The traditional teaching methods used for training civil engineers are currently being called into question as a result of the new knowledge and skills now required by the labor market. In addition, the European Higher Education Area is requesting that students be given a greater say in their learning. In the subject called Construction and Building Materials at the Civil Engineering School of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, a path was set three academic years ago to lead to an improvement in traditional teaching by introducing active methodologies. The innovations are based on cooperative learning, new technologies, and continuous assessment. The writers’ proposal is to offer their experience as a contribution to the debate on how students can be encouraged to acquire the skills currently demanded from a civil engineer, though not overlooking solid, top-quality training. From the outcomes obtained, it can be concluded that using new teaching techniques to supplement a traditional approach provides more opportunities for students to learn while boosting their motivation. In our case, the introduction of these changes has resulted in an increased pass rate of 29% on average, when such a figure is considered in the light of the mean value of passes during the last decade.

From Secondary School To University: Attracting Young Students Towards A Career In Nuclear

From its creation, Spanish Young Generation in Nuclear (Jóvenes Nucleares, JJNN), a non-profit organization that depends on the Spanish Nuclear Society (SNE), has as an important scope to help spread knowledge about nuclear energy, not only pointing out its advantages and its role in our society, but also trying to correct some of the ideas that are due to the biased information and to the lack of knowledge. To try to have success in that goal, some high school lectures were taught and it has been organized regularly a Basic Course on Nuclear Science and Technology

Motivating Young Students to Start a Career in Nuclear: The Basic Course of Science and Nuclear Technology, An Educational Activity of Spanish Young Generation in Nuclear (JÓVENES NUCLEARES)

The main objective of this course, conducted by Jóvenes Nucleares (Spanish Young Generation in Nuclear, JJNN), a non-profit organization that depends on the Spanish Nuclear Society (SNE) is to pass on basic knowledge about Science and Nuclear Technology to the general public, mostly students and introduce them to its most relevant points. The purposes of this course are to provide general information, to answer the most common questions about Nuclear Energy and to motivate the young students to start a career in nuclear. Therefore, it is directed mainly to high school and university students, but also to general people that wants to learn about the key issues of such an important matter in our society. Anybody could attend the course, as no specific scientific education is required. The course is done at least once a year, during the Annual Meeting of the Spanish Nuclear Society, which takes place in a different Spanish city each time. The course is done also to whichever university or institution that asks for it to JJNN, with the only limit of the presenter´s availability. The course is divided into the following chapters: Physical nuclear and radiation principles, Nuclear power plants, Nuclear safety, Nuclear fuel, Radioactive waste, Decommission of nuclear facilities, Future nuclear power plants, Other uses of nuclear technology, Nuclear energy, climate change and sustainable development. The course is divided into 15 minutes lessons on the above topics, imparted by young professionals, experts in the field that belongs either to the Spanish Young Generation in Nuclear, either to companies and institutions related with nuclear energy. At the end of the course, a 200 pages book with the contents of the course is handed to every member of the audience. This book is also distributed in other course editions at high schools and universities in order to promote the scientific dissemination of the Nuclear Technology. As an extra motivation, JJNN delivers a course certificate to the assistants. At the end of the last edition course, in Santiago de Compostela, the assistants were asked to provide a feedback about it. Some really interesting lessons were learned, that will be very useful to improve next editions of the course. As a general conclusion of the courses it can be said that many of the students that have assisted to the course have increased their motivation in the nuclear field, and hopefully it will help the young talents to choose the nuclear field to develop their careers