TY - JOUR
T1 - Socioeconomic status and risk for arsenic-related skin lesions in Bangladesh
AU - Argos, Maria
AU - Parvez, Faruque
AU - Chen, Yu
AU - Hussain, A. Z.M.Iftikhar
AU - Momotaj, Hassina
AU - Howe, Geoffrey R.
AU - Graziano, Joseph H.
AU - Ahsan, Habibul
PY - 2007/5
Y1 - 2007/5
N2 - Objectives. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a severe public health crisis in Bangladesh, where the population is exposed to arsenic in drinking water through tube wells used for groundwater collection. In this study, we explored the association between socioeconomic status and arsenic toxicity. Methods. We used baseline data from 11 438 men and women who were recruited into the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS), a prospective cohort study on the health effects of arsenic exposure in Bangladesh. We conducted analyses with logistic regression and generalized estimating equations. Results. We found a strong dose-response association with all measures of arsenic exposure and skin lesions. We also found that the effect of arsenic was modified by land ownership on a multiplicative scale, with an increased risk among non-land owners associated with well water arsenic (P = .04) and urinary total arsenic concentrations (P = .03). Conclusions. Our study provides insight into potentially modifiable host characteristics and identifies factors that may effectively target susceptible population subgroups for appropriate interventions.
AB - Objectives. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a severe public health crisis in Bangladesh, where the population is exposed to arsenic in drinking water through tube wells used for groundwater collection. In this study, we explored the association between socioeconomic status and arsenic toxicity. Methods. We used baseline data from 11 438 men and women who were recruited into the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS), a prospective cohort study on the health effects of arsenic exposure in Bangladesh. We conducted analyses with logistic regression and generalized estimating equations. Results. We found a strong dose-response association with all measures of arsenic exposure and skin lesions. We also found that the effect of arsenic was modified by land ownership on a multiplicative scale, with an increased risk among non-land owners associated with well water arsenic (P = .04) and urinary total arsenic concentrations (P = .03). Conclusions. Our study provides insight into potentially modifiable host characteristics and identifies factors that may effectively target susceptible population subgroups for appropriate interventions.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2005.078816
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2005.078816
M3 - Article
C2 - 17395836
AN - SCOPUS:34247218605
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 97
SP - 825
EP - 831
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 5
ER -