Key words:
Mental Health, children, Environment.
Recent epidemiologic studies of children population`s morbidity have provided additional data on the growing incidence of borderline psychic disorders and mild forms of intellectual insufficiency in the majority of regions of Russian Federation /1/.
This trend has been attributed to changes in social conditions of living, as well as to the increase in the effects of various unfavourable environmental physical,chemical and biologic factors.
Attempts to reveal the relationships between the level of population`s, and, particularly, of children population`s psychic morbidity and the effects of specific ecopathogenic factors have been made onle with respect to small doses radiation /2-4/.Meanwhile, the characteristic trait of urbanized regions with developed industry is the multi-faktor nature of their ecopathogenic infl ences, the latter having low intensity in the majority of cases, which render many of them undectable by usual analyses or virtually unknown. These influences, among other factors, include production conditions at the enterprises not being known as harmful to the environment.
Large-scale influx of women into industry, including that with unfavourable working conditions, has been noted in Russia. This makes the problem of indirect effects of industrial factors on somatic and psychic health of working women`s children especially important in this country.
Vast knowledge on negative influences of radiation, chemical and other agents on gestation period and reproductive function has been accumulated /5/.
The present investigation attempted to reveal the indirect effect of technogenic factors and background ecologic conditions on the nervous and psychic health of children belonging to mothers working at the garment factory and poultry plant located in one of the territorial administrative centers of Tula Region. Both the garment factory and the poultry plant are the largest enterprises of the town, in which the women`s labor is utilized.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
By its economic and social characteristics, the town where the investigation took place belongs to typical idustrial areas. The results of hygienic evaluation of the environmet revealed the presence of excessive amounts of various industrial pollutants and low concentrations of such highly toxic agents as acetaldehyde, acetone, carbon bisulphide in the drinkable water and atmosphere.
Hygienic examination of working conditions of the women-workers at the poultry plant revealed the presence of a number of unfavourable industrial factors. Thus, the technology of keeping the poultry excluded the possibility of production processes isolation. Consequently, the gaseous impurities associated with paultry keeping, including those formed as a result of decomposition of feed, excrements and other organic substances were found to be constant components of the environment within the plant, A symbiosis of droplets and dust particles which adsorbed bakteria, volatile compounds and additives to poultry`s feed, including trace elements, hormones, antibiotics and other biologically active substances was formed in the atmosphere.
Unfavourable micro climate with high humidity and considerable temperature differences between the rooms were also noted.
Unfavourable conditions accompanying the work of women-workers of the garment factory included emotional stresses caused by monotonous character of the work and increased level of noise.
No significant variability was found in the age, educational level, social position, living conditions and habits of the studied women. Also, there was no considerable variability in the character of work and alcohol abuse frequency of examined children`s fathers. Some specific traits of nutrition included higher consumption by women- workers of poultry plant and by their children of poultry meat and eggs, which were sold to the plant`s personnel at preferential prices, as well as consumption of raw eggs by women-workers during the working time.
Children aged two to seven years, whose mothers had been working before and after their birth at the poultry plant (136 children) and at the garment factory (143 children) were included in the study.
Clinical method was the main method of the study: it included routine procedures of psychiatric examination. Additionally, the psychological testing aimed at evaelation of the level of intellectual development, power of concentration and memory was carried out.
To evaluate health state in mothers during pregnancy, the course of pregnancy and delivery, as well as the parameters of biologic anamnesis in children, the medical records and information obtained from mothers were used/ Additionally, the psychic status was examined in all mothers with the use of personal Level of Neurotization and Psychopathization Questionnaire (UNP questionnaire).
The data on the prevalence and character of psychic pathology in whole-town population of children of similar age obtained in the epidemiologic study carried out by L. A. Yermolina, O. D. Sosiukalo, A. A. Kashnikova, I. N. Tatarova and the author of this article served as controls. The evaluation of statistical significance of the difference between the compared groups was carried out with the use of chi-square test.
Depending on the psychic health status, the children were classified into three groups: healthy children; children with subclinical manifestations of psychic pathology (the risk group) and children with psychic disorders. Utilization of this classification was explained by the existence of many transitional forms between healthy psyche and psychic pathology, which forms can reach the level of psychic pathology in certain conditions.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Comparative characteristics of psychic health of the examined children and controls are presented in Fig.1.
Figure 1. Comparative characteristics of psychic health the examined children and controls presented as percentages of the total number chidren of group.
1)-healthy children
2)-the risk group
3)-children with psychic
disorders
I - children of hen - women
II - children of women - workers of garment
factory
III - control
The presented data show, that the prevalence of psychic pathology in the children of women-workers of poultry plant and garment factory did not significantly differ from that of the whole-town children population. Meanwhile, there were fewer healthy children in the studied, than in the control population due to increased group of risk for development of psychic pathology in the former (p < 0,005 ).
Characteristics of clinical and subclinical psychic disorders are summarized in Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 2. Prevalence of various psychoneurologic disorders presented as percentages of the total number of children.
1)-cerebral asthenia, characterized by mild persistent or
transient
disorders of congnitive functions accompanied byhypo-or
hiperreactivity;
2)-disorder of regulation of vegetative
functions;
3)-neurotic disorders;
4)-paroximal phenomena, including the
febrile convulsions;
I - children of hen - women ;
II -children of women - workers of garment
factory ;
III - control.
Figure 3. Level of intellectual development of children.
1)-mental debility;
2)-subnormal intellectual
development;
3)-retardation in the development of individual psychic
functions
(speech habit, visual spatial orientation, motorskills) at IQ
higher
that 80.
I - children of hen - women; II - children of women - workers
of garment
factory;
III - control.
The presented data indicate, that the prevalence and character of psychic disorders have no significant differences between the children of women-workers of garment factory and the whole- town population, whereas in children of women-workers of poultry plant statistically signficant (p < 0,05) increase in subclinical psychoneurologic disorders was noted. The latter were presented by mild manifestations of cerebral asthenia, retardation in the development of individual psychic functions on the background of low general intellectual level, emotonal lability with tendency to neurotic reactions ( phobic, dysthymic, dissomnic and other disorders ) and disorders of vegetative functions` regulation.
To elucidate the causes of increased psychoneurologic morbidity in children of women-workers of the poultry plant, the comparative analysis of mothers` health state during pregnancy, the frequency of abnormalities in the course of pregnancy and delivery, the frequency of documented pathology in the newborns was carried out; the results of this analysis are presented in Fig. 4 and Table 1.
Figure 4. Comparison of parameters of biological anamnesis of children presented in percentages.
1)-frequency of abnormalities in the course of pregnancy and
delivery;
2)-newborns' pathology.
I - hen - women; II - women - workers of garment factory; III - control.
The presented data show, that women-workers of poultry plant had more frequent abnormalities in the course of pregnancy and delivery (p <0,01 ), and their children more often had neonatal pathology. The character of complications during pregnancy was similar in the compared groups:these complications included premature birth, threat of abortion, various forms of late toxicosis and disorders of placental function.
Table 1. Incidence of somatic diseases in mothers during pregnancy ( in percentages of the total number of women ).
| Type of deseases | hen - women n = 136 |
women of garment factory n = 143 |
control n = 876 |
| Healthy | 56,5 ± 4,2 | 84,6 ± 2,4 | 71,7 ± 1,8 |
| Acute infections deseases |
21,8± 4,1 | 3,5 ± 1,5 | 6,5 ± 1,02 |
| Chronic gastrointestinal deseases |
36 ± 1,5 | 0,7 ± 0,2 | - |
| Chronic deseases of kidneys |
12,3 ±2,7 | 3,5± 1,5 | 7,4±1,8 |
| Anaemia | 3,6 ±1,5 | 2,1 ±1,1 | 2,7 ± 0,6 |
| Other chronic deseases |
7,8 ±2,2 | 6,9 ±2,1 | 12,6 ± 1,1 |
The precented data show, that women-workers of the poultry plant had significantly higher incidence of acute infectious diseases with manifestations of respiratory or gastrointestinal disorders (p <0,001) than the whole-town women population. Evidently, the women actually had mild forms of salmonollosis and ornithosis. The outbreaks of these infections had been noted in the plant`s poultry. Besides that, the women -workers of the poultry plant significantly more often had chronic deseases of kidneys and gastrointestinal tract (p <0,05), possibly due to unfavourabe working conditions and specific traits of women`s nutrition (consumption of raw eggs).
The women-workers of the garment factory had all above listed parameters similar to these in the whole-town women population,which demonstrates the absence of unfavourable working conditions at the garment factory capable of interference with the health status of workers.
The results of investigation of psychic status of women with the aid of personal Level of Neurotization and Psychopathization (LNP) questionnaire are presented in Table 2.
Table 2. Level of neurotization and psychopathization of the examined women (scores .
| Contingent | Level of neurotization | Level of psychopatization |
| Hen - women | -1,4 ± 1,79 | +1,9 ± 0,91 |
| Women - workers of garment factory |
+8,7 ± 1,76 | + 5,9 ± 1,68 |
| Control | + 8,4 ± 0,94 | + 7,4 ± 0,91 |
Note: higher scores indicate lower level of neurotization and psychopathization, while lower scores correspond to higher levels of neurotization and psychopathization.
The presented data demonstrate higher level of neurotization and psychopathization (p less than 0,01) in women -workers of poultry plant than in the women-workers of garment factory and in controls. The cause of this phenomenon was not studied by us specially,. Simultaneous psychogenic and exogenous organic influences on nervous system of industrial factors of poultry plant could be hypothesized.
It is well recognized, that change in the psychoemotional status of parents, particularly of mothers, is one of the factors destabilizing child`s psyche. Possibly, this is one of the causes of high frequency of neurotic disorders in the children of women - workers of poultry plant.
CONCLUSION
The presented data make it possible to conclude, that women - workers of poultry plant are subjected to the effects of physical, chemical and infectious factors of industrial environment, apart from regional general ecopathogenic influences. Combined influences of these factors lead to increased incidence of infectious diseases, some kinds of somatic pathology, complications of pregnancy, as well as to changes in psychoemotional status undermining the biologic and psychologic background of health in children and increasing the risk of psychic disorders development in the latter.
These data show, that unfavourable conditions of work of women of child -bearing age widely employed in the industry may be one of the factors leading to growth of border-line psychoneurologic disorders in the population.
Thus, the problem of development of methods for determination of allowed limits for technogenic loads on women ensuring the preservation of their health and the health of future children should be considered as a problem of great importance.
REFERENCES
Moscow. Russia
Mental and psysical health of chidren and there mothers - workers in the poultry plants and seamstresses in the not big Russian industrial center was examined Received indexes of morbidity were compared with statistical data and indicate lower biological conditions for health and more high risk for children`s psychoneurological disorders if there mothers work in poultry plants.
We suppose that some unfavorable industrial factors in poultry plant (chemicals, infectious diseasses, etc.) indirectly, through physical women`s health and there reproductive system may influence to there children`s mental health.