Health consequences of the first Persian Gulf War on French troops

Since 1993, many studies on the health of Persian Gulf War Veterans (PGWV) have been undertaken. These studies have concluded that there has been an increased mortality due to external causes, no excess of recognized diseases, and no effect on PGWV children. When compared with the non-deployed, PGWV have reported a higher frequency of infertility as well as different symptoms, but a specific Gulf War syndrome was not identified. In October 2000, the French government asked an independent working group to analyse the scientific literature on PGWV health. The group concluded that an exhaustive study of French PGWV was to be undertaken. The objectives of this study were to describe the exposures of PGWV in the operations theatre, to report on the symptoms and diseases that occurred in PGWV and their children during and after the military campaign, and to explore the possibility of a Gulf War syndrome. This exhaustive cross-sectional study, which included all civilians and troops who served in the Gulf from August 1990 to July 1991, began in January 2002. Data were collected by postal self-administered questionnaires. A standardized clinical evaluation was performed by 27 clinics of occupational diseases and nine military hospitals. Symptoms and diseases which appeared after the campaign are described. To date, among 20,261 PGWV, 5,666 participated in the study (28%). The most frequent symptoms described since the return from the Gulf were headaches (83%), neurological or psychological symptoms, and back pain. Apart from well-known symptoms associations (respiratory, neurocognitive, psychological and musculo-skeletal syndromes), no other cluster was highlighted by our analysis.     

Dietary Patterns and 12-Year Risk of Frailty: Results From the Three-City Bordeaux Study

Objective

To analyze the association between dietary patterns and the 12-year risk of frailty and its components in community-dwelling elderly French adults.

Lot quality assurance sampling: methods and applications in public health

Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS), developed to meet industrial quality control needs, has been applied to health surveys. The WHO used this method to assess immunization coverage. The sampling strategy was developed to classify lots as acceptable or unacceptable. Lot sampling is an efficient, simple and time-efficient procedure for quality assurance. Under certain conditions, efficiency can be improved with double sampling. We describe the method and its theoretical basis and illustrate applications of LQAS in epidemiological surveillance and quality control of medical records. The advantages and disadvantages of this method are presented.     

A qualitative study on knowledge,perceptions, and attitudes of mothers and health care providers toward pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Bandung,West Java,Indonesia

Due to the high burden of pneumonia in Indonesia, the inclusion of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) into Indonesia's National Immunization Program (NIP) is recommended by World Health Organization. Prior to the introduction of new vaccines, it is imperative to assess the perceptions of the public and medical community about the disease and the vaccine. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of mothers and health care providers (HCPs) toward PCV in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.     

Correlates of regular fish consumption in French elderly community dwellers: data from the Three-City study

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have found an inverse association between fish consumption and risk of dementia. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of older fish consumers, in order to identify potential confounders in this relationship. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data of a prospective cohort study. SETTING: Bordeaux, Dijon, and Montpellier (France) in 1999-2000. SUBJECTS: A total of 9280 community dwellers aged 65 y and above participating in the baseline examination of the Three-City Study. INTERVENTIONS: All participants answered a face-to-face interview and underwent a physical examination. Cross-sectional analyses were performed by logistic regressions. RESULTS: Regular fish consumers (at least weekly) had a higher education (OR from 1.19 to 1.65, P = 0.0003) and income (OR from 1.37 to 1.89, P < 0.0001). Controlling for age, sex, education, and city, they had a higher consumption of pulses, fruit, and vegetables (P < 0.001). They were more often alcohol drinkers (P < 0.0001). They felt in better health (P < 0.05), exhibited less depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), and scored higher on the Mini Mental Status Examination (P < 0.05). However, their objective physical health status was not better, except that they were leaner. They suffered more often from hypertension and past stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status, dietary habits, depression, and vascular risk factors could act as confounders in the relationship between fish consumption and risk of dementia.     

Energy, macronutrient and fatty acid intake of French elderly community dwellers and association with socio-demographic characteristics: data from the Bordeaux sample of the Three-City Study

Few data are available regarding dietary habits of the elderly, in particular about fatty acid consumption, whereas these are major risk or protective factors of several age-related diseases. The aim of the present study was to characterise the dietary intake of a French elderly population in terms of energy, macronutrients and fatty acids based on their socio-demographic characteristics. The study population (age range 67.7-94.9 years) consisted of 1786 subjects from Bordeaux (France), included in the Three-City cohort. Dietary assessment was performed by a 24 h recall, allowing the estimation of energy, protein, carbohydrate, total fat, SFA, MUFA and PUFA intakes. Socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, educational level and income), practice of sports and BMI were registered. Total energy intake (EI) was lower in women and in older participants ( > or = 85 years) but higher in single subjects. Higher EI was associated with higher income, but not with educational level. Mean contribution of macronutrients to EI (protein 18%, carbohydrate 46% and total fat 31%) was higher in women than men, except for alcohol. The oldest individuals consumed less protein and more mono- and disaccharides. Excess saturated fat intake (43% of total fat), associated with a relative deficit in MUFA consumption (36% of total fat), was observed. The mean 18:2n-6:18:3n-3 ratio was 9.9 and decreased with higher educational level. The present results suggest that being female, older age, being widowed and low income level could be considered as risk factors of inadequate dietary intake.     

Reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes among French gulf war veterans

Background  

Since 1993, many studies on the health of Persian Gulf War veterans (PGWVs) have been undertaken. Some authors have concluded that an association exists between Gulf War service and reported infertility or miscarriage, but that effects on PGWV's children were limited.