Blood Cholinesterase Level and Learning Ability of Primary School Children in an Agricultural Village, Tanjung Karang, Malaysia
Journal Title: Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research - Year 2015, Vol 8, Issue 1
Abstract
Objective: The widespread use of organophosphate (OP) insecticides in paddy fields has led to human exposure. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between blood cholinesterase concentrations with the children’s learning ability in the agricultural village of Tanjung Karang, Selangor. Methods: Seventy-seven primary school children who live less than approximately 1km from paddy fields were selected as the exposed group, while another 62 primary schoolchildren who live more than 1 km away from the agriculture site served as the unexposed group. The questionnaires were completed by the parents. The children’s capillary blood was collected using the finger prick technique to determine the blood cholinesterase concentrations using a cholinesterase test kit (Lovibond, AF267, Tintometer Ltd., UK). The McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MSCA) were used to determine the learning ability of these children. Results: There were significant differences (p<0.05) in blood cholinesterase and all scales in the MSCA between the exposed and the unexposed group. There were significant associations between the blood cholinesterase concentrations and learning ability by all scales in the MSCA (p<0.05). The variable that significantly influenced the blood cholinesterase was gender (p=0.008). Blood cholinesterase was the most significant influencing factor on the learning ability, especially on the motor scale (p=0.002). Conclusion: Blood cholinesterase concentrations were significantly higher and had a significant relationship with the learning ability of the exposed group, especially the motor performance.
Authors and Affiliations
Nurul Husna Miswon, Zailina Hashim, Vivien How, Raihanah Chokeli
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP347928
- DOI 10.9734/BJMMR/2015/16804
- Views 50
- Downloads 0
Prognosis of Male Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Objective: to discuss disease-free survival, overall survival, cancer specific survival, mortality and potential complications of the surgical treatment of breast cancer in men. Methods: a systematic review of studies id...
Occupational Stress among Emergency Department (ED) Staff and the Need for Investment in Health Care; a View from Pakistan
Aims: To identify the frequency of occupational stress and its contributing factors (stressors) existing among healthcare providers working in the Emergency Department (ED) of tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. Study D...
The Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents Age 11-18 Years with Familial History of Early Onset Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM)
Background: Some studies have noted an association between family history of diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome (MS) in childhood. Aim: To determine the prevalence rate of the metabolic syndrome in adolescents with fami...
Measuring Occupational Stress and HRA Axis Dysregulation among Healthy Workers by Salivary Cortisol Levels
Background: Salivary cortisol is a useful biomarker in stress research, as a valid measure for HPA axis activity, whose deregulation is one of the ways that psychosocial risk factors at work, result to the creation of il...
Differential Impact of Parental BMI and Diet on Overweight and Obesity in Young School Children in Southern Brazil
Aims: To analyze simultaneous impact of biological, socioeconomic and behavioral determinants of excess weight in schoolchildren. Study Design: Cross-sectional study based on a representative sample of schoolchildren fr...