TABLE 3.

Pesticide exposures and self-reported hearing loss cases and controls identified in the Agricultural Health Study

	Case		Control
Exposure	n	%	n	%	OR1	95% CI
Cumulative lifetime days of pesticide use
1–64	1048	22	2318	26	1.0	referent
65–200	1038	22	1940	22	1.04	0.93–1.17
201–400	1289	27	2359	26	1.09	0.97–1.22
401–7000	1361	29	2335	26	1.14	1.02–1.28
Missing	190		351
Trend					p = 0.03
Pesticide-related medical care
No	4393	92	8592	94	1.0	referent
Doctor visit	331	7	445	5	1.38	1.17–1.62
Hospitalized	64	1	73	1	1.81	1.25–2.62
Missing	138		193
Use of personal protective equipment
Low protection	921	19	1827	20	1.0	referent
Moderate protection	3033	64	5683	63	1.05	0.95–1.17
High protection	799	17	1508	17	1.07	0.94–1.22
Missing	173		285
High pesticide exposure event
No	3913	82	7803	86	1.0	referent
Yes	859	18	1278	14	1.38	1.24–1.53
Missing	154		222
Interval between high exposure event and washing
No event	3913	83	7803	86	1.0	referent
<60 minutes	468	10	760	8	1.38	1.21–1.58
≥60 minutes	357	7	469	5	1.39	1.19–1.62
Missing	188		271
High exposure event involving inhalation or ingestion
No event	3913	82	7803	86	1.0	referent
No inhalation or ingestion	500	11	795	9	1.34	1.17–1.52
Inhalation or ingestion	347	7	456	5	1.47	1.26–1.72
Missing	166		249
Ever diagnosed with pesticide poisoning
No	4711	97	9034	98	1.0	referent
Yes	149	3	144	2	1.75	1.36–2.26
Missing	66		125
Exposure to Insecticides2
None	566	12	1210	13	1.00	referent
2.5 – 51.5	1472	30	2652	29	1.20	1.06–1.37
52 – 175	1423	29	2711	29	1.14	1.004–1.30
> 175	1430	29	2694	29	1.19	1.04–1.35
Trend					p=0.35
Missing	35		36
Exposure to Herbicides2
≤50	492	10	908	10	1.00	referent
50.01 – 260.75	1461	30	2795	30	0.98	0.85–1.12
261 – 650.75	1474	30	2774	30	1.03	0.89–1.18
≥651	1466	30	2792	30	1.04	0.91–1.20
Trend					p=0.34
Missing	33		34
Exposure to Fungicides2
None	4399	90	8314	90	1.00	referent
≥1	483	10	940	10	1.00	0.88–1.13
Missing	44		49
Exposure to Fumigants2
None	4603	94	8736	94	1.0	referent
≥1	272	6	515	6	1.04	0.88–1.22
Missing	51		52
Exposure to Organophosphates2
None	734	15	1522	16	1.0	referent
2.5 – 38.75	1392	29	2575	28	1.12	1.00–1.26
39 – 129.5	1371	28	2602	28	1.09	0.97–1.23
> 129.5	1393	28	2568	28	1.17	1.03–1.31
Trend					p=0.08
Missing	36		36
Exposure to Carbamates2
None	2972	63	5711	64	1.0	referent
2.5 – 20	929	20	1678	19	1.07	0.97–1.18
> 20	846	17	1587	17	1.06	0.96–1.18
Trend					p=0.38
Missing	179		327
Exposure to Organochlorines2
None	1511	54	2905	55	1.0	referent
2.5 – 17.5	440	16	790	15	1.06	0.91–1.22
18.75 – 57.75	404	15	787	15	1.01	0.87–1.16
> 57.75	425	15	778	15	1.08	0.93–1.25
Trend					p=0.37
Missing	2146		4043
Exposure to Pyrethroids2
None	3508	74	6689	75	1.0	referent
2.5 – 17.5	595	13	1085	12	1.06	0.94–1.19
> 17.5	611	13	1155	13	1.03	0.92–1.16
Trend					p=0.69
Missing	212		374

¹ORs adjusted for state, age, solvent exposure, noise exposure, and metal exposures

²Variable based on reported non-intensity-adjusted cumulative lifetime days of use