Tag: Livestock

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Data quality from a longitudinal study of adolescent health at schools near industrial livestock facilities.

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Data quality from a longitudinal study of adolescent health at schools near industrial livestock facilities.

Ann Epidemiol. 2015 Mar 18;

Authors: Guidry VT, Gray CL, Lowman A, Hall D, Wing S

Abstract
PURPOSE: Longitudinal designs enable examination of temporal relationships between exposures and health outcomes, but extended participation can cause study fatigue. We present an approach for analyzing data quality and study fatigue in a participatory, longitudinal study of adolescents.
METHODS: Participants (n = 340) in the Rural Air Pollutants and Children’s Health study completed daily diaries for 3 to 5 weeks in 2009 while we monitored outdoor pollutant concentrations. We used regression models to examine established associations between disease, symptoms, anthropometrics, and lung function as indicators of internal consistency and external validity. We modeled temporal trends in data completeness, lung function, environmental odors, and symptoms to assess study fatigue.
RESULTS: Of 5728 records, 94.2% were complete. Asthma and allergy status were associated with asthma-related symptoms at baseline and during follow-up, for example, prevalence ratio = 8.77 (95% confidence interval: 4.33-17.80) for awakening with wheeze among diagnosed asthmatics versus nonasthmatics. Sex, height, and age predicted mean lung function. Plots depicting outcome reporting over time and associated linear trends showed time-dependent declines for most outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: We achieved data completeness, internal consistency, and external validity, yet still observed study fatigue, despite efforts to maintain participant engagement. Future investigators should model time trends in reporting to monitor longitudinal data quality.

PMID: 25935712 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Livestock farming and atmospheric emissions.

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Livestock farming and atmospheric emissions.

Ig Sanita Pubbl. 2013 Jul-Aug;69(4):445-57

Authors: Zicari G, Soardo V, Rivetti D, Cerrato E, Russo D

Abstract
Livestock farming produces atmospheric emissions that may pose a risk to workers and a disturbance to the population. Emissions into the atmosphere produced by livestock farming consist of gases such as ammonia, dust, compounds such as aliphatic hydrocarbons and bio-aerosols formed by microorganisms. Some gases, such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, have foul odours and are thus potentially annoying to the population. Gaseous or volatile molecules produced by livestock installations and related activities may have several adverse effects on health and environment. The most significant exposure certainly relates to workers in the confined spaces of farms, rather than to residents in the surrounding areas. In this article we examine potential hazards to farm workers and to the population living in the vicinity of livestock farms, arising from emissions into the atmosphere.

PMID: 24091845 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

View full post on pubmed: asthma