TABLE 3.

Prevalence Ratio Estimates for Neurologic Symptoms Among 16,340 Participants in the Agricultural Health Study, 1993–1997: Cattle Exposure Compared With No Farm Animal Exposure

	Numbness	Weakness	Speech Problems	Blurred Vision	Night Blindness
All cattle farmers (beef, dairy, or both) (n = 8,878) compared with reference group (n = 7,462), Total N = 16,340
Unadjusted model (n = 16,340)
Prevalence ratio [95% CI]	1.24 [1.16–1.33]	1.21 [1.11–1.32]	1.12 [0.96–1.30]	1.05 [0.95–1.16]	0.91 [0.83–0.997]
P	P < 0.0001	P < 0.0001	P = 0.155	P = 0.329	P = 0.043
Adjusted model (n = 15,008)
Prevalence Ratio [95% CI]	1.22 [1.12–1.32]	1.25 [1.14–1.38]	0.97 [0.82–1.16]	1.10 [0.99–1.24]	0.94 [0.84–1.05]
P	P < 0.0001	P < 0.0001	P = 0.752	P = 0.087	P = 0.253
Cattle farmers with no other farm animals (n = 4,275) compared with reference group (n = 7,462), Total N = 11,737
Unadjusted model (n = 11,737)
Prevalence ratio [95% CI]	1.16 [1.07–1.26]	1.16 [1.05–1.29]	0.99 [0.82–1.20]	1.04 [0.92–1.17]	0.93 [0.83–1.05]
P	P = 0.0007	P = 0.005	P = 0.929	P = 0.557	P = 0.239
Adjusted model (n = 10,685)
Prevalence ratio [95% CI]	1.15 [1.04–1.26]	1.16 [1.03–1.30]	0.93 [0.76–1.14]	1.05 [0.92–1.20]	0.93 [0.82–1.06]
P	P = 0.004	P = 0.012	P = 0.475	P = 0.446	P = 0.269
Beef farmers (n = 8,136) compared with reference group (n = 7,462), Total N = 15,598
Unadjusted model (n = 15,598)
Prevalence ratio [95% CI]	1.23 [1.14–1.32]	1.21 [1.10–1.32]	1.11 [0.95–1.30]	1.04 [0.94–1.15]	0.90 [0.82–0.996]
P	P < 0.0001	P < 0.0001	P = 0.174	P = 0.484	P = 0.040
Adjusted model (n = 14,314)
Prevalence ratio [95% CI]	1.21 [1.12–1.31]	1.24 [1.12–1.37]	0.97 [0.81–1.15]	1.08 [0.96–1.21]	0.94 [0.84–1.05]
P	P < 0.0001	P < 0.0001	P = 0.720	P = 0.184	P = 0.247
Dairy farmers (n = 1,168) compared with reference group (n = 7,462), Total N = 8,630
Unadjusted model (n = 8,630)
Prevalence ratio [95% CI]	1.44 [1.26–1.65]	1.38 [1.17–1.62]	1.28 [0.97–1.70]	1.17 [0.97–1.42]	0.92 [0.76–1.11]
P	P < 0.0001	P = 0.0001	P = 0.086	P = 0.108	P = 0.377
Adjusted model (n = 7,863)
Prevalence ratio [95% CI]	1.40 [1.21–1.63]	1.43 [1.19–1.72]	0.98 [0.71–1.35]	1.31 [1.05–1.63]	0.97 [0.79–1.20]
P	P < 0.0001	P < 0.0001	P = 0.887	P = 0.015	P = 0.798

Prevalence ratios of neurologic symptoms for cattle farmers compared with 7,462 farmers without any self-reported exposure to farm animals.

Adjusted Model covariates: state, race, gender, age, education, alcohol consumption, smoking, frequency of consumption of hamburger, beef-steaks, chicken, pork chops/ham steak, and bacon/sausage, and exposure (yes/no) to insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fumigants.

Results significant at P < 0.05 are bolded.

CI, confidence interval.