Pesticides and Atopic and Nonatopic Asthma among Farm Women in the Agricultural Health Study

• DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200706-821oc
• Publication Date: 2007-12-20T17:58:57Z
• Authors: Jane A. Hoppin; David M. Umbach; Stephanie J. London; Paul K. Henneberger; Greg J. Kullman; Michael C. R. Ala...; Dale P. Sandler
• Keywords: Asthma Exacerbations; Farmer's lung

Risk factors for asthma among farm women are understudied.We evaluated pesticide and other occupational exposures as risk adult-onset asthma.Studying 25,814 in the Agricultural Health Study, we used self-reported history of doctor-diagnosed with or without eczema and/or hay fever to create two case groups: patients atopic those nonatopic asthma. We assessed disease-exposure associations polytomous logistic regression.At enrollment (1993-1997), 702 (2.7%) reported a doctor's diagnosis after age 19 years (282 atopic, 420 nonatopic). Growing up on (61% all women) was protective (odds ratio [OR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.70) and, lesser extent, (OR, 0.83; 95%CI, 0.68-1.02; P value difference = 0.008). Pesticide use almost exclusively associated Any pesticides only 1.46; CI, 1.14-1.87). This association strongest who had grown farm. Women grew farms did not apply lowest overall 0.41; 0.27-0.62) compared neither nor applied pesticides. A total 7 16 insecticides, 2 11 herbicides, 1 4 fungicides were significantly asthma; permethrin crops asthma.These findings suggest that may contribute asthma, but women.