Screening for depleted uranium in the United Kingdom armed forces: who wants it and why?
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Depleted uranium (DU) use has been implicated in the poor health of many service personnel who have served in the Gulf and the Balkans. Although the health related risks are thought to be small the UK government has offered to set up a voluntary screening programme for service personnel. This study aimed to find out the characteristics and possible exposures to DU for those personnel who desire DU screening. METHODS This study looks at 2369 UK service personnel who were asked if they wanted to be screened for DU. Subjects were asked about their perceived exposure to deployment associated risks including DU and a number of psychological health measures. RESULTS The study found that 24% of the cohort wanted screening, a figure that if extrapolated to all those who have been offered screening would represent 36720 requests for screening. Those who wanted DU screening were younger, of lower rank, and more likely to be from the Royal Navy or Army rather than the Royal Air Force. Those requesting DU screening reported poorer health both subjectively and as measured by the GHQ-12 and a symptom checklist. They also reported more exposure to DU and to other deployment associated risks while in military service. Using combat exposure as a proxy for a significant risk of having been exposed to DU, there was a significant correlation. CONCLUSIONS This study found that the desire for DU screening is more closely linked to current health status rather than plausible exposure to DU.
منابع مشابه
EVIDENCE BASED PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND PRACTICE Screening for depleted uranium in the United Kingdom armed forces: who wants it and why?
Background: Depleted uranium (DU) use has been implicated in the poor health of many service personnel who have served in the Gulf and the Balkans. Although the health related risks are thought to be small the UK government has offered to set up a voluntary screening programme for service personnel. This study aimed to find out the characteristics and possible exposures to DU for those personne...
متن کاملMicronuclei frequencies in peripheral blood lymphocytes of individuals exposed to depleted uranium.
One of the negative environmental impacts of the last armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina was the use of radioactive ammunition containing depleted uranium. The United Nations Environment Programme measurements detected higher radioactivity at several examined sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of those places is in the area of Hadzići, close to Sarajevo. This research included an evalua...
متن کاملDescribing the Role and Duties of a Military Pharmacist in Iran Armed Forces Health Care System
Background and Aim: Due to the comprehensiveness of educational topics and mastery of various scientific topics, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology on the one hand, and management, business and economics on the other, pharmacists have a significant ability to perform various tasks in the healthcare system. In the meantime, pharmacists who are exposed to military training, as...
متن کاملRescue In Vitro Maturation in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Patients Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization Treatment who Overrespond or Underrespond to Ovarian Stimulation: Is It A Viable Option? A Case Series Study
Background: This study intends to present the role of rescue in vitro maturation (IVM) in polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment who have inappropriate responses to ovarianstimulation.Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective case series study of five PCOS patients undergoing IVF treatmentconsidered for cycle ca...
متن کاملUrinary isotopic analysis in the UK Armed Forces: no evidence of depleted uranium absorption in combat and other personnel in Iraq.
OBJECTIVES To assess the distribution and risk factors of depleted uranium uptake in military personnel who had taken part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. METHODS Sector field inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS) was used to determine the uranium concentration and (238)U/(235)U isotopic ratio in spot urine samples. The authors collected urine samples from four groups iden...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Journal of epidemiology and community health
دوره 58 7 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2004