Gema Gallego Viñas has received the award to the best thesis in Epidemiology and Public Health of 2014

30/11/2015

Gema Gallego Viñas has been awarded by the Spanish Society of Epidemiology with the Award for the best thesis in Epidemiology and Public Health for her work entitled “Mercury levels and blood pressure in children 4 years of the INMA-Valencia cohort“. The thesis is her final work of the Master’s Degree in Public Health and Health Management, studied at the University of Valencia and directed by Ferran Ballester Díez, professor of Nursing at the University and coordinator of the Research Area on Environment and Health of FISABIO.

This study is part of the Research Project INMA – Childhood and Environment with the aim to study the paper of the more relevant environmental pollutants in the air, water and diet during the pregnancy and beginning of life, and their effects in the growth and development. The results indicate that the mean systolic blood pressure for boys and girls was 98 mmHg and mean diastolic blood pressure was 60 mmHg for boys and 62 mmHg for girls. 69{3effe4377b6f02be2524d084f7d03914ac32a2b62c0a056ca3444e58c1f10d0b} of children were classified as normotensive, 16{3effe4377b6f02be2524d084f7d03914ac32a2b62c0a056ca3444e58c1f10d0b} as children with high-normal blood pressure and 15{3effe4377b6f02be2524d084f7d03914ac32a2b62c0a056ca3444e58c1f10d0b} as hypertensive. On the other hand, as it had been described previously, the study shows that 56{3effe4377b6f02be2524d084f7d03914ac32a2b62c0a056ca3444e58c1f10d0b} of children exceeded the equivalent of the reference dose given by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) level and 21{3effe4377b6f02be2524d084f7d03914ac32a2b62c0a056ca3444e58c1f10d0b} exceeded equivalent level to the provisional tolerable weekly intake of WHO for mercury levels. No significant association between mercury concentration and blood pressure at age 4 was found.

Under the INMA Project, study will continue in the possible association of early exposures to health and development of children will continue, including indicators of cardiovascular health, metabolism and obesity.