Frequency Of Product Use Research Articles

VOC concentrations measured in personal samples and residential indoor, outdoor and workplace microenvironments in EXPOLIS-Helsinki, Finland

Thirty target volatile organic compounds (VOC) were analyzed in personal 48-h exposure samples and residential indoor, residential outdoor and workplace indoor microenvironment samples as a component of EXPOLIS-Helsinki, Finland. Geometric mean residential indoor concentrations were higher than geometric mean residential outdoor concentrations for all target compounds except hexane, which was detected in 40% of residential outdoor samples and 11% of residential indoor samples, respectively. Geometric mean residential indoor concentrations were significantly higher than personal exposure concentrations, which in turn were significantly higher than workplace concentrations for compounds that had strong residential indoor sources ( d-limonene, alpha pinene, 3-carene, hexanal, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 1-butanol). 40% of participants in EXPOLIS-Helsinki reported personal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Participants in Helsinki that were exposed to ETS at any time during the 48-h sampling period had significantly higher personal exposures to benzene, toluene, styrene, m, p-xylene, o-xylene, ethylbenzene and trimethylbenzene. Geometric mean ETS-free workplace concentrations were higher than ETS-free personal exposure concentrations for styrene, hexane and cyclohexane. Geometric mean personal exposures of participants not exposed to ETS were approximately equivalent to time weighted ETS-free indoor and workplace concentrations, except for octanal and compounds associated with traffic, which showed higher geometric mean personal exposure concentrations than any microenvironment ( o-xylene, ethylbenzene,benzene, undecane, nonane, decane, m, p-xylene, and trimethylbenzene). Considerable differences in personal exposure concentrations and residential levels of compounds with mainly indoor sources suggested differences in product types or the frequency of product use between Helsinki, Germany and the United States.

Product satisfaction is not associated with choice

Aim and Methods As part of a prospective study of the acceptability of over-the-counter (OTC) barrier contraceptives (male and female condoms, foam, suppositories, and cream or gel), we examined the association between aspects of product satisfaction and choice. The analyses were restricted to those women and men who used the product in question during the prior six months. Satisfaction was measured by whether the participant liked the product, they thought their partner liked it, whether it made sex better, the same, or worse, and whether they would recommend the product to a friend. Choice was assessed by whether the participant chose that product to use over the next six months. Results Data were available from 519 young women and 163 of their male partners. Averaging across the four satisfaction measures revealed that after six months of use, only 36% of women (range 33%-41%) and 39% of men (range 30%-53%) who reported the highest satisfaction again chose the product in question. After 12 months, 50% of the women (range 48-54%) and 62% of the men (range 53-73%) who reported highest satisfaction ratings for products they used again chose the product they rated highly. In general, the association between satisfaction and choice was strongest for male condoms and weakest for suppositories and gel. Overall, the question that assessed whether the product made sex better was the most predictive of choice (p < .05). The associations were unaffected by frequency of product use. Conclusion In our study, product acceptability as measured by satisfaction cannot be used as a surrogate for choice. This was particularly the case for six months of use where satisfaction was no better than chance in predicting whether participants would again choose the product in question. The lack of association may be due to either poor measures of acceptability or the fact that product satisfaction and choice remain independent constructs.

Supplementation Patterns of Competitive Male and Female Bodybuilders

This study described the prevalence of supplement use by 309 male and female competitive bodybuilders. Participants completed a comprehensive survey detailing their supplementation patterns with respect to frequency of product use, spending characteristics, and reasons for use. Supplement use varied with training phase. Protein powder was more popular in the bulking phase, amino acids and fat burners in the cutting phase. Fifty-nine percent of respondents spent $25-100 per month; 4.9% spent over $150. The most popular reason for supplement use was "to meet extra demands of heavy training." In the bulking phase, both weight gain and anabolic supplements were reportedly consumed more frequently by men than women. In the cutting phase, "fat burners" were reportedly consumed by a greater percentage of females than males. The information provided by this study can help sport nutritionists identify supplements most often consumed by bodybuilders and can aid counselors as they guide bodybuilders towards more healthful nutrition practices.

Occupational Dermatitis Among Hairdressers

Dermatitis among hairdressers has been recognized as a significant occupational health problem but the occurrence, contributing factors, and control measures have not been comprehensively studied or reported. Consequently, an epidemiologic field study of dermatitis among hairdressers and its relationship to medical history of allergy, frequency of specific product use, sex, and number of years in hairdressing was conducted in the winter of 1982 in four southern New Jersey counties. Work practices and procedures were observed and chemical inventories taken during on-site visits to the participants' beauty salons. The data collected were complied and analyzed using a computerized log-linear statistical procedure. The association between the occurrence of dermatitis and a medically confirmed history of allergy is highly significant (p less than .001) and decreases with increasing numbers of years in hairdressing, indicating perhaps that highly susceptible individuals leave their jobs. There was no significant relationship between dermatitis and the levels of frequency of product use. Means of controlling and preventing occupational dermatitis among hairdressers are discussed. Because of the complexity and diversity of the chemical products used, further research is needed to explore the specific etiological factors of hairdresser's dermatitis.