Depression and pesticide exposures in female spouses of licensed pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study cohort.
OBJECTIVE
This nested case-control study evaluated the association between depression and pesticide exposure among women.


METHODS
The study population included 29,074 female spouses of private pesticide applicators enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study between 1993 and 1997. Cases were women who had physician-diagnosed depression requiring medication. Lifetime pesticide use was categorized as never mixed/applied pesticides, low exposure (up to 225 days), high exposure (>225 days), and a history of diagnosed pesticide poisoning.


RESULTS
After adjustment for state, age, race, off-farm work, alcohol, cigarette smoking, physician visits, and solvent exposure, depression was significantly associated with a history of pesticide poisoning (odds ratio [OR] = 3.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.72-6.19) but not low (OR = 1.09; CI = 0.91-1.31) or high (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 0.91-1.31) cumulative pesticide exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
Pesticide poisoning may contribute to risk of depression.
Beseler
Cheryl
C
Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA. cbeseler@lamar,colostate.edu
Stallones
Lorann
L
Hoppin
Jane A
JA
Alavanja
Michael C R
MC
Blair
Aaron
A
Keefe
Thomas
T
Kamel
Freya
F
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016573:Agrochemicals / Q000633:toxicity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018454:Spouses
D016573:Agrochemicals; D010575:Pesticides