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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 1999 Sep 1;90(5):334–337. doi: 10.1007/BF03404523

Occupational Risk Factors in Parkinson’s Disease

Joseph K C Tsui 113,✉, Donald B Calne 113, Yue Wang 113, Michael Schulzer 113, Stephen A Marion 113
PMCID: PMC6979620  PMID: 10570579

Abstract

Background: An apparent excess of teachers and healthcare workers among the Parkinson’s disease patients of a large tertiary care movement disorders clinic suggested the hypothesis that high exposure to viral (or other) respiratory infections in these occupations might be a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.

Methods: A case-control study of the association between occupation and Parkinson’s disease was conducted. Cases (414) were all Parkinson’s disease patients seen at the University of British Columbia Hospital Movement Disorders Clinic between 1986 and 1993, residing in Greater Vancouver, and under 65 in 1991. Controls (6,659) were randomly selected from the 1991 Canadian Census.

Findings: Parkinson’s disease was associated with teaching (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.67–3.74) and occupation in healthcare services (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.34–3.20), but there were several other substantial associations, both positive and negative.

Interpretation: While referral bias cannot be ruled out, the authors find the consistency of the overall pattern of associations with the respiratory infection hypothesis striking.

Footnotes

Supported in part by The Pacific Parkinson’s Research Institute

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