Influence of sugar and alchool industry occupation on neuroendocrine stress activity, cardiorespiratory and on cognitive performance in sugar cane workers

• Grant number: 09/54885-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: April 01, 2010 - March 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Ubiratan de Paula Santos
• Grantee: Ubiratan de Paula Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto do Coração Professor Euryclides de Jesus Zerbini (INCOR). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The characterization of sugarcane industry expanse has been fundamental to the comprehension of socioeconomic, environmental and public health impact which results from this process. In terms of labor, it is known that the activity in the sugar and alcohol industry developed by rural migrant workers presents an intense physical, chemical, biological and psychological load. Together, these characteristics represent a potential threat to the organic function maintenance capable to trigger stress response. In short term, the neurodocrine stress activity is adaptive, but faces a repetitive and extended exposure to the stressor this system organized to protect could lead to deterioration and stress-related disorders cardiorespiratory diseases. Although there are evidences about the relationship between altered Cortisol levels (stress hormone) and work-related stress and its cardiorespiratory and cognitive implications, no findings about this relationship on workers with work load so intense and heterogeneous such those experienced by sugar cane workers. Hence, this study aim to assess the influence of the sugar and alcohol work practice on the neuroendocrine stress activity and its relationship with cardiorespiratory evaluation and cognitive performance in sugar cane workers. One hundred health male individuals living in Mendonça (SP) will be evaluated and divided in two groups: Sugar cane workers (n = 50) and Controls (n = 50) composed by local healthy residents who will answer a questionnaire about respiratory symptoms. The neuroendocrine stress activity will be accesses using Cortisol concentrations analyzed on saliva sampled on awakening and 30 minutes after awakening in three different times: before, during and after harvest period. The cardiovascular evaluation will be assesses using the heart rate, heart rate variability and blood pressure. The cognitive performance will be assessed using neuropsychological tests (declarative memory, working memory, attention and language). It has been hypothesized that the organizational and load of sugar and alcohol work would be associated with neuroendocrine stress altered activity and this could also be related with cardiorespiratory alterations and cognitive performance decline after harvest period. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOUZA-TALARICO, JULIANA NERY; SANTOS, SHEILA; TREVISAN ZANETTA, DIRCE MARIA; MARCOURAKIS, TANIA; SANTOS, UBIRATAN PAULA. ssociation between awakening cortisol levels and cardiovascular performance in sugarcane rural worker. STRESS AND HEALTH, v. 38, n. 1, JUL 2021. (09/54885-8)