[Symptom prevalence and pesticide management on agricultural workers].
BACKGROUND
Mexico is a main importers of pesticides in Latin America.


OBJECTIVE
to describe pesticide symptoms prevalence, use, and management in a group of agricultural workers.


METHODS
we carried out a transversal study in 303 agricultural workers laboring in vegetables, grains and flowers fields. We investigated the work history, pesticide management, and pesticide use frequency, as well as exposure-associated symptoms.


RESULTS
mean age was 46 years; 19.5 % of workers were illiterate, and mean pesticide use was 15 years. With regard to pesticide application, 17.2 % of laborers worked with pesticides from 11:00 a. m. to 3:00 p. m., and 36.4 % of them applied pesticides for > 2 h; 29.7 % applied pesticides against the wind, while 26.4 % applied these with the wind. After applying the pesticides, 37.4 % of them bathed after 3 h, 34.5 % changed clothes, and 18.8 % returned to cultivation some hours later; 23 % of workers presented some symptom, the most frequent being headache, itchiness, numbness, and perception of burning on skin; this latter proportion was greater in the < or = 46 years old group


CONCLUSIONS
symptom prevalence is in agreement with inappropriate pesticide management; nonetheless, we found no statistically significant association. Our results are lower than other studies, possibly due to lesser exposure, determined by toxicity, pesticide amount utilized, and use and management of chemicals.
Cortés-Genchi
Pedro
P
Unidad Académica de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Mexico.
Villegas-Arrizón
Ascencio
A
Aguilar-Madrid
Guadalupe
G
Del Pilar Paz-Román
María
M
Maruris-Reducindo
Mireya
M
Juárez-Pérez
Cuauhtémoc Arturo
CA
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D010575:Pesticides