Table 5.

 Final GEE model of the average hearing threshold (in units of dB HL) among subcohort of conventional farmers for the low and high-frequency bands (n = 326 ears)

Variables	Low frequency (0.5–2 KHz)			High frequency (3–6 kHz)
	β	SE	P-value	β	SE	P-value
Model 2: type of pesticides exposure
Cumulative insecticide exposure (score-years)
None	0.00	—	—	0.00	—	—
0.07–0.945	2.485	1.226	0.059	2.884	2.595	0.266
0.946–2.407	0.108	1.253	0.931	2.970	2.290	0.195
>2.407	0.846	1.811	0.640	5.280	2.795	0.046*
Cumulative noise exposure (dB(A)-years)
0–72.4	0.00	—	—	0.00	—	—
72.4–88.9	2.312	1.921	0.229	5.856	3.378	0.083
>88.9	−0.608	1.903	0.749	9.199	3.475	0.008*
Ear
Right	0.00	—	—	0.00	—	—
Left	1.222	0.689	0.076	0.358	0.856	0.676
Model 3: type of insecticides exposure
Cumulative organophosphate exposure (score-years)
None	0.00	—	—	0.00	—	—
0.09–1.118	2.171	1.291	0.093	3.513	2.409	0.145
>1.118	0.951	2.022	0.638	10.459	3.133	0.001*
Cumulative noise exposure (dB(A)-years)
0–72.4	0.00	—	—	0.00	—	—
72.4–88.9	2.415	1.955	0.217	5.670	3.282	0.084
>88.9	−0.398	1.891	0.833	8.011	3.428	0.019*
Ear
Right	0.00	—	—	0.00	—	—
Left	1.222	0.689	0.076	0.358	0.856	0.676

All models controlling for age, ever being exposed to industrial noise and smoking status.

*Significant at P-value 0.05.