Raising Healthy Children: Examining the Impact of Promoting Healthy Driving Behavior within a Social Development Intervention

This study evaluated the impact of two targeted family sessions focused on driving issues delivered within the context of the Raising Healthy Children project. The Raising Healthy Children project began in the fall of 1993, drawing students in the 1st or 2nd grades from 10 schools. Schools were assigned to an intervention or control condition, and the school-wide, family- and student-focused preventive intervention to address developmentally salient risk and protective factors was delivered during elementary and middle school. The family driving sessions were administered to families in the intervention condition prior to and after teenagers received their driver's license. The first session consisted of a home visit with families designed to help parents and their children improve decision-making skills concerning driving and to develop clear standards and expectations regarding driving-related behavior. A second session, at the time of licensure, was designed to help parents and teens develop a written contract that stated family expectations, a plan for monitoring compliance with these expectations, and consequences for compliance or non-compliance.Consistent with the study's group-randomized design, intervention effects were assessed with multi-level logistic regression models in which students were grouped by their original school assignment. These models assessed specific effects of the driving sessions by adjusting for control variables measured when students were in 8th grade, prior to the driving sessions. Results indicated that students in the intervention group were more likely than students in the control group to report that they had a written driving contract (p = .003, OR = 4.98), and had participated in making the driving rules in the family (p = .025, OR = 1.70). Further, students in the intervention group reported significantly fewer risky behaviors including driving under the influence of alcohol (p = .021, OR = .45) and driving with someone who had been drinking (p = .038, OR = .56).     

汽车驾驶员的高血压危险因素分析

目的了解汽车驾驶员的原发性高血压患病情况及主要危险因素,为该人群制定适宜的防治措施。方法采用现况调查的方法,对重庆市746名20～60岁的男性驾驶员行问卷调查、体格检查和血压测量等。同期检测了884名男性非驾驶员人员的血压值。结果男性驾驶员的高血压标化患病率为28.3%,高于非驾驶员18.26%。驾龄、平均每天开车时间、驾驶车型、工作责任和工作紧张感等职业因素与驾驶员高血压有关。多因素Logistic分析显示驾龄、工作责任和工作紧张感、父母患高血压及体重指数(BMI)>25是驾驶员高血压的主要危险因素。结论职业紧张等因素与驾驶员高血压患病有关,需采取相应的综合防治措施。     

CAN总线技术研究与基于CAN总线的生命科学仪器硬件系统设计(下篇)

上篇较为详细地论述了CAN总线的工作原理、特点、常用接口器件和CAN节点构成方法及配置原则。下篇重点论述了CAN总线在生命科学仪器中的应用设计思想和使用技巧经验。     

广州市公共汽车空调车厢内空气污染与防治对策

目的 了解不同监测时段、不同监测路段、不同监测区域的空调公共汽车内空气污染状况,为制定相应的防治对策提供依据.方法 选择不同监测时段、不同监测路段、不同监测区域的空调公共汽车,在开启空调通风系统及车内乘客人数接近的条件下分别测定车厢空气中CO、可吸入颗粒物、NO2的浓度.结果 空调公共汽车内空气中CO及可吸人颗粒物浓度在不同监测时段、不同监测路段、不同监测区域差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05),高峰期、繁忙路段、市区车内空气中CO及可吸入颗粒物平均浓度均显著高于非高峰期、非繁忙路段和郊区.其中CO及可吸入颗粒物的最高浓度分别超出我国<室内空气质量标准>GB/T18883-2002最高容许浓度的2.5倍和3.8倍.NO2的平均浓度均低于国家标准规定的最高容许浓度.结论 汽车尾气等因素可造成空调公交车车厢内空气污染,应给予广泛关注并加强控制.     

Benzene exposure in car mechanics and road tanker drivers

The purpose of this study was to identify professional factors related to benzene exposure and to deduce suitable safety measures. Atmospheric benzene, urinary muconic acid (tt-MA) and leukocyte alkaline phosphatase activity (LAPA) were evaluated among 66 car mechanics, 34 road tanker drivers, and 28 nonexposed workers. Professional and medical questionnaires were filled in at the same time. Atmospheric benzene was significantly higher among road tanker drivers than among car mechanics. The arithmetic mean ± SD, median, and geometric mean values were, respectively, 0.48 ± 1.49, 0.14, and 0.06 mg/m³ among car mechanics and 1.88 ± 4.18, 0.68, and 0.65 mg/m³ among road tanker drivers. In the latter case the increase was caused by transport of unleaded petrol and correlated with the volume of the tank. Among car mechanics, tobacco smoking, windy conditions, dismantling of petrol filters, and handling of petrol increased atmospheric benzene levels. Urinary muconic acid was increased significantly among car mechanics (148 ± 137, 127, and 111 μg/g) and among road tanker drivers (309 ± 420, 137, and 151 μg/g) as compared with the controls (49 ± 46, 33, and 33 μg/g). Among road tanker drivers, alcohol intake and transportation of unleaded petrol increased the excretion of muconic acid, which was also directly related to the volume of the tank. Among car mechanics, professional factors (dismantling of petrol filters, handling of and washing of hands with petrol) and nonprofessional factors (tobacco smoking and damaged skin on the hands and forearms) increased muconic acid excretion. In the control group, tobacco smoking increased its excretion. LAPA was not significantly modified among exposed workers. There was a weak but significant linear correlation between LAPA and muconic acid. These results suggest that to reduce exposure to benzene in unleaded petrol, individual and collective safety measures should be imposed in both occupations. Received: 25 November 1996 / Accepted: 25 September 1997     

Prevalence of drugs among drivers arrested for drinking and driving in Finland

Summary A combined thin layer and gas chromatography system was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of drugs in biological samples after extraction with heptane-isoamyl alcohol. Both acidic and basic extraction procedures were used. Special methods were used for the extraction and detection of salicylates, isoniazid, and morphine. Particular attention was given to the detection of psychostimulants; though these drugs have seldom been found in drinking drivers in Finland they are commonly found in Sweden. Two percent of all suspected drinking drivers were also suspected of concommitant drug use, which led to primary sampling of urine. Of 100 such drivers, 24 had blood alcohol levels (BALs) which were negative and 18 of that 24 had drugs in their sample. Seventysix of the 100 had positive BALs and 25 of the 76 had drugs in their samples. Of the randomly chosen 100 suspected drinking drivers, 5 had drugs in their samples, and 4 of these 5 had positive BALs. The benzodiazepines were the most commonly detected drugs. No stimulants were found in our subjects.The authors wish to thank Ms. Donna Billings for her skillful typing and checking the language. This study was supported by the Wihuri Foundation     

Physical workload, ergonomic problems, and incidence of low back injury: a 7.5-year prospective study of San Francisco transit operators

BACKGROUND: The etiologic role of biomechanical factors for low back injury (LBI) needs to be confirmed in prospective studies that control for psychosocial factors. METHODS: Complete baseline information on 1,233 vehicle operators was gathered during medical examinations and by questionnaire. First LBI during 7.5 years of follow-up was ascertained from insurance records. Hazard ratios and etiologic fractions were analyzed with Cox regression models stratified by injury severity and controlling for age, sex, height, weight, ethnicity, and biomechanical and psychosocial job factors. Severe LBI was defined as medically diagnosed postlaminectomy syndrome, spinal stenosis, herniated lumbar disc, sciatica, or spinal instability. RESULTS: An exponential dose-response relationship was found between weekly driving hours and incidence of first LBI. Indicators of physical workload were more strongly associated with more severe low back injuries compared to less severe injuries. Rates of severe LBI increased 39% for every 10-hr increase in weekly driving (hazard ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval 1.15-1.68). Higher risks of severe LBI were also found among operators performing heavy physical labor on cable cars (hazard ratio 2.76, 95% confidence intervals 1.24-6.14) or reporting more ergonomic problems at baseline (HR for upper quartile 1.65 (95% confidence interval 1.08-2.50). Estimates of etiologic fractions suggest that reduction of ergonomic problems to the low level currently experienced by 25% of drivers would result in a 19% reduction of severe LBI among all drivers. A change from full- (more than 30 hr) to part-time driving (20-30 hr) could reduce the number of severe LBI by 59%, although this gain would be reduced to 28% at the company level if injuries expected among additional employees, hired to maintain full service are included. CONCLUSIONS: Duration of professional driving and ergonomic problems are independent and preventable risk factors for LBI even after adjustment for psychosocial factors.     

Healthcare and the long haul: Long distance truck drivers--a medically underserved population

BACKGROUND: Long distance trucking is associated with significant health risks. However, to our knowledge no published data exist regarding healthcare service access by the estimated two million long-haul truckers in the United States. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed to assess access to healthcare among these workers. Five hundred-twenty-one anonymous self-administered surveys were completed at 16 truck stops in 14 states from July through August 2002. RESULTS: Forty-seven percent of those surveyed lack a regular healthcare provider, 20% frequent emergency rooms and urgent care centers, 32% were unable to receive needed healthcare within the last year, and 56% had difficulty utilizing healthcare services at home. Individuals lacking health insurance (31%) experienced more difficulty with healthcare access than the insured within the last year, were more often without a regular provider (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001), and utilized urgent care centers and emergency rooms more often than the insured (25 vs. 17%). CONCLUSIONS: Long distance truck drivers are at risk for poor health outcomes and experience significant difficulty accessing healthcare services. Further studies concerning how to best provide healthcare to this vulnerable, underserved population are needed.     

Caffeine consumption in drivers of heavy vehicles in Turkey

Long-distance drivers in Turkey are forced to drive continuously for 15-20 h on intercity roads without sleep or assistant drivers in order that their cargo, comprising perishable goods (e.g. vegetables, fish), can be transported to their destination on time. During long journeys, drivers try to suppress their need for sleep by using substances containing caffeine as they do not want to stop for a rest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of gripin by long-distance drivers and its adverse effects. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the resting facilities of the Kirikkale-Ankara highway in December 1999.Sixty-five percent of long-distance drivers took gripin regularly while using their vehicles. Of these, 53.8% used gripin due to headache and 46.2% to prevent sleep. Sixty-five percent of drivers were smokers and 76.9% of smokers took gripin. It was observed that long-distance drivers tend to use substances containing caffeine in order to prevent sleep and headache.     

A process evaluation of tobacco-related outcomes from a telephone and print-delivered intervention for motor freight workers

Interventions are needed to address the high prevalence of tobacco use among blue-collar, motor freight workers in the United States. In the present study, we conducted an evaluation of the Gear Up for Health study to evaluate which intervention components associated with this print- and telephone counseling-based tobacco intervention were associated with affecting psychosocial indicators of future quitting, number of quit attempts, and quitting tobacco. The sample is comprised of 64 baseline tobacco users. The intervention components evaluated were receipt of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), aspects of the counseling calls, the targeted and tailored print materials, and goal setting. The results indicated that several intervention components were related to tobacco cessation, and less frequently related to psychosocial indicators (i.e. intention and self-efficacy) and quit attempts. A higher percentage of those who quit using tobacco, versus not quitting, thought the number of calls were just right (100% vs. 75%), received NRT (87% vs. 56%), read most or all of the materials (100% vs. 70%), found the materials to be very helpful (87% vs. 30%), set tobacco goals (93% vs. 58%) and met these goals (100% vs. 44%) (p ≤ 0.05 for all). These results may be used in planning future interventions and indicated that perceptions of materials, call number, and call content may be more important than absolute call number or duration. Thus, the number and duration of counseling calls may be flexible and determined in response to the needs of participants.