Children are the vulnerable group in the agricultural community due to their early exposure to pesticides through the dynamic interplay between genetic predisposition, environment, and host-related factors. This study aims to identify the possible association between the depression in blood cholinesterase level and genotoxic effect among farm children. The results of micronuclei assay and comet assay showed that the reduced blood cholinesterase level from organophosphate pesticide exposure is significantly associated with an increase in chromosome breakage and DNA strand breaks. These genotoxicity end points suggest that farm children's cells experience early DNA damage that may lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation during their adulthood. Thus, farm children who grow up near pesticide-treated farmland have a higher probability of developing cancer than children with minimal or zero exposure to pesticides.

Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies aims to engage, inform, and catalyse scholarly discourse within research and real-world practices that work towards the minimisation of vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout developing communities with special emphasis on Africa.

Rising global temperatures can lead to heat waves, which in turn can pose health risks to the community. However, a notable gap remains in highlighting the primary contributing factors that amplify heat-health risk among vulnerable populations. This study aims to evaluate the precedence of heat stress contributing factors in urban and rural vulnerable populations living in hot and humid tropical regions. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 108 respondents from urban and rural areas in Klang Valley, Malaysia, using a face-to-face interview and a validated questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the principal component analysis, categorizing factors into exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indicators. In urban areas, five principal components (PCs) explained 64.3% of variability, with primary factors being sensitivity (health morbidity, medicine intake, increased age), adaptive capacity (outdoor occupation type, lack of ceiling, longer residency duration), and exposure (lower ceiling height, increased building age). In rural, five PCs explained 71.5% of variability, with primary factors being exposure (lack of ceiling, high thermal conductivity roof material, increased building age, shorter residency duration), sensitivity (health morbidity, medicine intake, increased age), and adaptive capacity (female, non-smoking, higher BMI). The order of heat-health vulnerability indicators was sensitivity > adaptive capacity > exposure for urban areas, and exposure > sensitivity > adaptive capacity for rural areas. This study demonstrated a different pattern of leading contributors to heat stress between urban and rural vulnerable populations.

As climate change increases temperatures and the frequency of extreme heat events, farm workers are among the most affected. Because of the nature of the work, farmers working at hot temperatures may experience physiological changes in their body such as increases in body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate, as well as leading to intolerance of blood glucose and blood cholesterol. This study speculates that extreme heat hazards may lead to incidence of heat-related diseases among farmers in the workplace and other metabolic disorders. The purpose of this study is to determine the potential health effects of heat exposure between agroecology and conventional rice farmers. This study recruited 33 agroecology and 25 conventional rice farmers in the northern state of peninsular Malaysia. The adapted questionnaire was used to obtain the respondent's background information. Also, the environmental and physiological measurements were carried out to determine the heat stress index (HSI) and physiological strain index (PSI). The HSI was monitored by using WetBulb globe temperature meter, whereas the physiological parameters were assessed by using thermometer, blood pressure monitor, and blood cholesterol/glucose monitor kit. The study shows that there is a significant difference between HSI, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels among organic and conventional farmers. Both groups of farmers also have a significant association between blood glucose and blood pressure. The findings of this study suggest that pesticide use can act as a synergistic effect, resulting in more significant health effects for those who were exposed to heat in their work environment. Given the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector, the disparity in the heat-related health effects between pesticides used and nonpesticides used farming community may serve as a critical factor to consider while implementing the workplace heat stress program in the agricultural industry.

Apart from being exposed to various hazards, there are several other factors that contribute to the deterioration of traffic police health. A cross-sectional study was carried out to explore the association of occupational, socio-demographic, and lifestyle factors with lung functions in traffic policemen in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Johor Bahru (JB). A spirometer was used to measure lung function of subjects, whereas a self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain their information on background data, lifestyle, and occupational factors. The statistical test used was Spearman rho’s test and chi-square test; then, the factors were further tested using Logistic regressions. 134 male subjects were selected as respondents in this study with 83% response rate. Among all the factors tested, age (FVC: χ = 8.42(3), p = 0.04), (FEV: χ = 8.26(3), p = 0.04), rank (FVC: χ = 8.52(3), p = 0.04), (FEV: χ = 8.05(3), p = 0.04), duration of services (FVC: χ = 11.0(1), p = 0.04), (FEV: χ = 6.53(1), p = 0.01), and average working hours (with the Measured FVC (litre), r = –3.97, p < 0.001; Measured FEV1 (litre), r = –3.70, p < 0.001; Predicted FVC, r = –0.49, p < 0.001; Predicted FEV1, r = –0.47, p < 0.001; and %Ratio FEV1/FV, r = –0.47, p < 0.001) were significantly related to lung function among traffic police. Occupational factors play a crucial role, and hence, the authorities should take action in generating flexible working hours and the duration of services accordingly. The data from this study can help by serving as a reference to the top management of traffic police officers to develop occupational safety and health guideline for police officers to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA, Act 514 1994).