TABLE 2.
ODDS RATIOS FOR PESTICIDE USE AND ASTHMA AMONG 25,814 FARM WOMEN IN THE AGRICULTURAL HEALTH STUDY, 1993–1997
| Patients with Asthma
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control Subjects (n = 25,112)
|
Atopic (n = 282)
|
Nonatopic (n = 420)
|
P Value for Difference‡ | |||
| Exposure | n (%)* | n (%)* | OR (95% CI)† | n (%)* | OR (95% CI) | |
| Any pesticide | 14,346 (57) | 181 (64) | 1.46 (1.14–1.87) | 240 (57) | 1.00 (0.82–1.22) | 0.020 |
| Herbicides | 9,394 (38) | 122 (44) | 1.43 (1.12–1.83) | 161 (39) | 1.09 (0.89–1.33) | 0.088 |
| 2,4-d | 3,745 (15) | 52 (19) | 1.53 (1.12–2.10) | 66 (16) | 1.07 (0.82–1.41) | 0.092 |
| Alachlor | 1,058 (4) | 10 (4) | 0.95 (0.50–1.79) | 18 (4) | 0.95 (0.59–1.55) | 0.981 |
| Atrazine | 1,142 (5) | 12 (4) | 1.06 (0.59–1.91) | 18 (5) | 0.88 (0.54–1.42) | 0.627 |
| Butylate | 352 (1) | 5 (2) | 1.45 (0.59–3.55) | 7 (2) | 1.10 (0.51–2.34) | 0.638 |
| Chlorimuron-ethyl | 424 (2) | 4 (2) | 5 (1) | 0.68 (0.28–1.65) | ||
| Cyanazine | 725 (3) | 6 (2) | 0.84 (0.37–1.90) | 14 (4) | 1.09 (0.63–1.88) | 0.596 |
| Dicamba | 1,014 (4) | 11 (4) | 1.11 (0.60–2.05) | 13 (3) | 0.74 (0.42–1.30) | 0.337 |
| Glyphosate | 8,468 (34) | 106 (39) | 1.31 (1.02–1.67) | 148 (36) | 1.13 (0.92–1.39) | 0.376 |
| Imazethapyr | 767 (3) | 3 (1) | 6 (2) | 0.46 (0.20–1.03) | ||
| Metolachlor | 830 (3) | 8 (3) | 0.98 (0.48–2.00) | 9 (2) | 0.64 (0.33–1.25) | 0.393 |
| Metribuzin | 449 (2) | 4 (2) | 6 (2) | 0.71 (0.31–1.61) | ||
| Paraquat | 286 (1) | 6 (2) | 1.90 (0.83–4.34) | 8 (2) | 1.60 (0.79–3.28) | 0.756 |
| Pendimethalin | 606 (2) | 4 (2) | 8 (2) | 0.78 (0.39–1.59) | ||
| Petroleum oil | 894 (4) | 11 (4) | 1.20 (0.65–2.22) | 22 (6) | 1.45 (0.93–2.25) | 0.627 |
| Trifluralin | 1,347 (6) | 15 (6) | 1.14 (0.67–1.94) | 22 (6) | 0.93 (0.60–1.45) | 0.569 |
| Insecticides | 10,052 (40) | 132 (47) | 1.43 (1.12–1.81) | 168 (40) | 0.96 (0.78–1.17) | 0.011 |
| Carbamates | 7,953 (32) | 110 (39) | 1.46 (1.14–1.86) | 136 (33) | 0.98 (0.79–1.21) | 0.014 |
| Carbaryl | 7,776 (31) | 106 (38) | 1.41 (1.10–1.80) | 128 (31) | 0.92 (0.74–1.13) | 0.009 |
| Carbofuran | 463 (2) | 9 (3) | 1.92 (0.98–3.77) | 11 (3) | 1.32 (0.72–2.43) | 0.413 |
| Organophosphates | 6,592 (26) | 91 (33) | 1.45 (1.12–1.87) | 119 (29) | 1.07 (0.86–1.33) | 0.072 |
| Chlorpyrifos | 1,003 (4) | 14 (5) | 1.36 (0.79–2.33) | 16 (4) | 0.96 (0.58–1.59) | 0.355 |
| Coumaphos | 319 (1) | 7 (3) | 2.19 (1.02–4.69) | 8 (2) | 1.43 (0.70–2.91) | 0.417 |
| Dichlorvos | 666 (3) | 9 (3) | 1.35 (0.69–2.66) | 15 (4) | 1.25 (0.73–2.11) | 0.851 |
| Diazinon | 2,542 (10) | 33 (12) | 1.23 (0.85–1.77) | 39 (10) | 0.92 (0.66–1.29) | 0.256 |
| Fonofos | 468 (2) | 8 (3) | 1.80 (0.88–3.68) | 10 (3) | 1.21 (0.64–2.31) | 0.422 |
| Malathion | 5,004 (20) | 76 (28) | 1.60 (1.22–2.10) | 100 (24) | 1.18 (0.94–1.49) | 0.092 |
| Parathion | 240 (1) | 7 (3) | 2.88 (1.34–6.20) | 6 (2) | 1.43 (0.63–3.25) | 0.215 |
| Phorate | 481 (2) | 10 (4) | 2.04 (1.07–3.88) | 9 (2) | 1.01 (0.52–1.98) | 0.136 |
| Terbufos | 732 (3) | 11 (4) | 1.52 (0.82–2.81) | 11 (3) | 0.86 (0.47–1.59) | 0.198 |
| Organochlorines | 1,950 (8) | 31 (11) | 1.57 (1.07–2.31) | 43 (11) | 1.16 (0.83–1.60) | 0.226 |
| Aldrin | 206 (1) | 2 (1) | 6 (2) | 1.39 (0.61–3.17) | ||
| Chlordane | 1,056 (4) | 16 (6) | 1.43 (0.85–2.38) | 25 (6) | 1.25 (0.82–1.89) | 0.688 |
| DDT | 920 (4) | 16 (6) | 1.79 (1.06–3.03) | 26 (7) | 1.38 (0.91–2.08) | 0.437 |
| Heptachlor | 198 (1) | 1 (0) | 5 (1) | 1.22 (0.50–3.00) | ||
| Lindane | 380 (2) | 8 (3) | 1.92 (0.94–3.92) | 7 (2) | 1.00 (0.47–2.14) | 0.218 |
| Pyrethroids | 1,222 (5) | 18 (7) | 1.46 (0.90–2.37) | 25 (6) | 1.34 (0.88–2.02) | 0.787 |
| Permethrin (animals) | 891 (4) | 15 (6) | 1.71 (1.01–2.91) | 15 (4) | 1.09 (0.65–1.85) | 0.235 |
| Permethrin (crops) | 491 (2) | 7 (3) | 1.30 (0.61–2.78) | 17 (4) | 2.19 (1.33–3.61) | 0.254 |
| Fungicides | 1,208 (5) | 18 (7) | 1.41 (0.87–2.30) | 27 (7) | 1.29 (0.86–1.92) | 0.774 |
| Captan | 550 (2) | 8 (3) | 1.33 (0.65–2.70) | 14 (3) | 1.42 (0.83–2.45) | 0.875 |
| Chlorothalonil | 237 (1) | 5 (2) | 1.93 (0.79–4.75) | 5 (1) | 1.20 (0.49–2.94) | 0.457 |
| Maneb | 382 (2) | 8 (3) | 1.93 (0.94–3.98) | 7 (2) | 0.96 (0.45–2.07) | 0.190 |
| Metalaxyl | 366 (2) | 10 (4) | 2.61 (1.35–5.04) | 8 (2) | 1.29 (0.63–2.66) | 0.153 |
| Fumigants§ | 441 (2) | 5 (2) | 1.02 (0.42–2.50) | 12 (3) | 1.57 (0.87–2.82) | 0.428 |
| 80/20 mix | 133 (1) | 1 (0) | 5 (1) | 1.85 (0.75–4.58) | ||
| Methyl bromide | 301 (1) | 3 (1) | 6 (1) | 1.21 (0.53–2.77) | ||
Definition of abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; OR = odds ratio.
*
Percentages based on numbers responding to the question; missing values are not included.
†
Models adjusted for age, state, smoking status, body mass index, and “grew up on farm;” ORs not reported if fewer than five exposed cases.
‡
P value for the test formally comparing the ORs for atopic and nonatopic asthma.
§
Fumigant category is based on use of any fumigant; only those pesticides with five or more exposed cases are presented.