Indoor metals pollution and metabolic outcomes among Italian children

Abstract Background Through this study, we aimed to test the association between the exposure to metals measured in indoor dust and metabolic outcomes among children living in areas with environmental exposure to metals. Methods The project “Health impacts of environmental exposure to airborne pollutants in the sites of Brescia and Taranto, Italy: increase knowledge to address preventive intervention of local and global relevance” (ISEIA) enrolled 130 children aged 6 to 13 years (51.5% females) resident from pregnancy in highly industrialized areas of the Brescia province, Northern Italy. Metabolic outcomes including BMI, fasting blood glucose and blood creatinine were measured. The concentration of a mixture of 10 metals in indoor dust was determined through an X-ray fluorescence portable analyzer (p-XRF). Linear regressions and Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression were applied to test for the association between metal exposure and metabolic outcomes. All models were adjusted for age, gender, socio-economic status and area of residence. Results A significant association was observed between Cd and blood creatinine (β = 0.01; 95%CI=0.001, 0.02; p-value=0.028) when considering each individual metal separately in the model. WQS regression showed a positive significant association between the mixture of metals and fasting glucose (β = 0.87; 95%CI 0.14, 1.61; p-value=0.023) identifying Mn, Cr and Cu as the elements with the higher weights, while a marginally significant association was found between the metal mixture and blood creatinine (β = 0.01; 95%CI=-0.001, 0.02; p-value=0.075) where Cd and Ti showed the highest weight. Conclusions We assessed the potential association between exposure to metals in indoor household dust and blood glucose and creatinine. Our results contribute to clarifying the role of metal exposure in the burden of non-communicable diseases although further studies are needed to better understand the relationship between metal exposure and metabolism. Key messages • The metal mixture in indoor household dust is associated with an increase in fasting glucose. • Cd concentration in indoor household dust is associated with an increase in blood creatinine.


Background:
Trust is a key component of a socially sustainable society, and is typically divided into general trust (referring to trust in other people) and institutional trust (referring to trust in the public institutions of society). Trust tends to be developed and formed early in life. While a plethora of research has reported positive links between trust and health in adults, the aim of this study was to examine the associations between general and institutional trust and emotional difficulties in mid and late adolescence. Methods: Data were derived from the Swedish cohort study Futura01, using information collected amongst 3622 grade 9 students (15-16 years, t1) who were followed-up two years later (17-18 years, t2). General and institutional trust was measured by indices based on five items each at both t1 and at t2 (range 1-4). Emotional difficulties were measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) subscale at both t1 and at t2 (range 0-10). Control variables included family type and cash margin at t1 and upper secondary school program (academic vs. vocational) at t2. Linear regressions were performed using the first difference (FD) approach, analysing the change in emotional difficulties (t2-t1) regressed on the change in general and in institutional trust (t2-t1), respectively. Results: Analyses simultaneously adjusting for change in both dimensions of trust showed inverse associations between the change in general trust and the change in emotional difficulties (b = -0.21, 95% CI -0.39, -0.04) and between the change in institutional trust and the change in emotional difficulties (b = -0.22, 95% CI -0.35, -0.09).

Conclusions:
Increases in general and in institutional trust between ages 15-16 and 17-18 years were associated with a corresponding decrease in emotional difficulties. The findings suggest that trust is a social determinant of emotional difficulties in adolescents. Endeavours to enhance trust in this age group are relevant.

Key messages:
Changes in trust were inversely associated with changes in emotional difficulties in adolescents.
The findings indicate that efforts to reinforce trust in adolescents are relevant.

Background:
Through this study, we aimed to test the association between the exposure to metals measured in indoor dust and metabolic outcomes among children living in areas with environmental exposure to metals.

Methods:
The project ''Health impacts of environmental exposure to airborne pollutants in the sites of Brescia and Taranto, Italy: increase knowledge to address preventive intervention of local and global relevance'' (ISEIA) enrolled 130 children aged 6 to 13 years (51.5% females) resident from pregnancy in highly industrialized areas of the Brescia province, Northern Italy. Metabolic outcomes including BMI, fasting blood glucose and blood creatinine were measured. The concentration of a mixture of 10 metals in indoor dust was determined through an X-ray fluorescence portable analyzer (p-XRF). Linear regressions and Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression were applied to test for the association between metal exposure and metabolic outcomes. All models were adjusted for age, gender, socio-economic status and area of residence.

Results:
A significant association was observed between Cd and blood creatinine (b = 0.01; 95%CI = 0.001, 0.02; p-value = 0.028) when considering each individual metal separately in the model. WQS regression showed a positive significant association between the mixture of metals and fasting glucose (b = 0.87; 95%CI 0.14, 1.61; p-value = 0.023) identifying Mn, Cr and Cu as the elements with the higher weights, while a marginally significant association was found between the metal mixture and blood creatinine (b = 0.01; 95%CI = -0.001, 0.02; p-value = 0.075) where Cd and Ti showed the highest weight.

Conclusions:
We assessed the potential association between exposure to metals in indoor household dust and blood glucose and creatinine. Our results contribute to clarifying the role of metal exposure in the burden of non-communicable diseases The recent COVID-19 pandemic confronted many societies with profound public health challenges. Although primarily a 'somatic' health concern, it becomes clear that Covid-19 and its aftermath also proved to have a substantial impact on mental health and wellbeing of the population in general and on vulnerable subgroups, such as young people and the elderly, in particular. An important public mental health concern in this context is the possible adverse influence of this pandemic on suicidality. Recent studies show that during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease the suicide mortality did not rise, rather on the contrary. However, the impact of the increased number of people with mental distress related to Covid-19 on suicidal ideation as well as the long-term impact on suicide rates is unclear. Also the long-term impact of the Covid-19 restriction measures greatly hindering adequate mental healthcare services and suicide prevention initiatives is uncertain. This workshop will focus on suicidality trends since the pandemic onset in different countries, suicide figures, experiences in the field of suicide prevention and on attitudes towards seeking help. Ann John from UK will talk about suicide trends during Covid-19 pandemic and will present suicide data of 35 countries collected by the international Covid-19 Suicide Prevention Research Collaboration. Fabrice Jollant will present data about the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on suicide attempts in France, and will discuss in this context the new national suicide prevention strategy. John Cachia will show the importance of a broad mental public health approach to suicide prevention in Malta. And finally, Saska Roskar from Slovenia will show how prevention of suicidality in individuals working themselves in the field of mental health can be hindered by self-stigma.