Our results suggest that breast cancer incidence rates are likely to continue to increase more sharply in the future as women born after the mid-20th century reach the high-risk age groups. They also suggest the pattern by which important aetiological factors for the disease in our population have exerted their effects, and provide support for the role of demographic and lifestyle changes as possible risk factors.
Objectives: A health survey of three villages (upstream village Rantau Baru and two downstream villages, Sering and Pelalawan) in the vicinity of a pulp and paper mill along the Kampar river in the province of Riau, Indonesia was conducted to find whether exposure to the effluents from the mill was related to skin conditions and ill health. Methods: A cross sectional survey was carried out of children living in the three villages. Results: Common skin conditions such as dermatitis, fungal infections, insect bites, and miliaria were found. No significantly increased risk of dermatitis or any illness in general was found with increasing levels of exposure to river water for downstream villages when compared with the upstream village. However, there was an increased risk of diarrhoea in Sering especially with drinking water directly from the river (prevalence rate ratio (PRR) 4.9, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.4 to 63.9). An increased risk was also found within the upstream village Rantau Baru (PRR 2.3, 95% CI 0.9 to 5.8) and downstream village Sering (PRR 1.4, 95% CI 0.4 to 5.2) when children who drank water directly from the river were compared with those who never did. Analysis of the river water also showed physical and chemical variables within the acceptable range except for faecal coliforms (6 MPN/100 ml) found in the sample taken from Sering. Conclusions: The effluent from the mill is unlikely to be causing skin conditions and ill health. Diarrhoea may be due to faecal coliform contamination of the water because all raw sewerage is deposited in the river. Community health outreach programmes are being implemented based on these findings.
Symptoms of memory loss, unstable mood and some somatic complaints were experienced more frequently among women workers in an electronic factory exposed to toluene than in unexposed female assembly workers in the same factory. Personal exposure levels of toluene ranged from 49 ppm to 140 ppm. Neurobehavioural symptoms were significantly more in the group exposed to higher levels as compared to the control group or group exposed to lower levels.
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