Mental health in Alberta grain farmers using pesticides over many years.
Occup Med (Lond)
; 62(6): 400-6, 2012 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22915560
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Exposure to organophosphates and certain other pesticides has been related to symptoms of mental ill-health. There is particular interest in whether exposure over many years may result in chronic ill-health.AIMS:
To relate lifetime history of pesticide exposure to symptoms and medical records of mental ill-health in elderly grain farmers in Alberta.METHODS:
Two populations of grain farmers were identified for study cohort A (n = 5986), members of an Alberta farm organization in 1983; cohort B (n = 4781), grain farmers registered with the provincial department of agriculture. In 2002-03 both groups completed a questionnaire on lifetime history of pesticide use, physician diagnosed disease and recent neuropsychological symptoms. Durations of exposure to seven pesticide components were calculated and a factor score extracted from responses to the symptom questionnaire. For a sub-cohort surviving to 2009 medical records for mental ill-health were identified. Records and symptom scores were related to pesticide exposures allowing for confounding.RESULTS:
From cohort A, 1348 and cohort B, 1078 were alive and interviewed (median age 63 years; median duration in farming 40 years) 1371 were linked to the medical records database. Mental ill-health symptom scores were related to duration of exposure to phenoxy compounds (but not to other pesticides) and to mental ill-health in medical records. Those with mental ill-health in hospital discharge records were more likely to have been exposed to phenoxy compounds for ≥35 years.CONCLUSIONS:
The relationship of long-term exposure to phenoxy herbicides and neuropsychiatric symptoms was unexpected but not explained by measured confounders.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Compostos Orgânicos
/
Praguicidas
/
Grão Comestível
/
Exposição Ocupacional
/
Agricultura
/
Transtornos Mentais
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article