Associations of residential exposure to agricultural pesticides with asthma prevalence in adolescence: The PIAMA birth cohort

Joseph S Bukalasa; Bert Brunekreef; Maartje Brouwer; Gerard H Koppelman; Alet H Wijga; Anke Huss; Ulrike Gehring

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.029

Associations of residential exposure to agricultural pesticides with asthma prevalence in adolescence: The PIAMA birth cohort

Environ Int. 2018 Dec;121(Pt 1):435-442. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.029. Epub 2018 Sep 25.

Authors

Joseph S Bukalasa¹, Bert Brunekreef², Maartje Brouwer¹, Gerard H Koppelman³, Alet H Wijga⁴, Anke Huss¹, Ulrike Gehring⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
² Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
³ University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Groningen, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁴ Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
⁵ Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: u.gehring@uu.nl.

PMID: 30266014
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.029

Abstract

Background: It has been suggested that children who are exposed to agricultural pesticides have an increased risk of asthma, but evidence for associations betweeen residential pesticide exposure and childhood asthma is inconsistent.

Objectives: To investigate the associations of residential pesticide exposure with the prevalence of asthma and related symptoms within a Dutch birth cohort study.

Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, we included participants of the PIAMA birth cohort study with data on residential pesticide exposure and asthma from parent-completed questionnaires at age 14, collected in 2012 (N = 1473). We used spatial data on the presence of individual crops (cereals, open field vegetables, commercial crops, open field floriculture/bulbs, corn and potatoes) and pesticide application on these crops to estimate residential exposure to pesticides with known irritant properties for the respiratory system within distances of 100, 500, and 1000 m of the participants' homes. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between exposure and outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: No associations were found between living within 100, 500 and 1000 m of agricultural fields likely treated with pesticides and symptoms of asthma. For instance, for participants living within 100 m of fields with any crops likely treated with pesticides, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for the prevalence of asthma, shortness of breath and dry night cough at age 14 were 0.31 (0.07, 1.32), 0.61 (0.23, 1.57) and 1.26 (0.56, 2.80), respectively. No associations were found between estimated exposure to pesticides with known irritant properties for the respiratory system and asthma or related symptoms.

Conclusions: There was no association between living near agricultural fields likely treated with pesticides and asthma and related respiratory symptoms, among our study participants.

Keywords: Adolescents; Agricultural pesticides; Asthma; Birth cohort; Respiratory outcomes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Asthma / chemically induced
Asthma / epidemiology*
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Environmental Exposure / analysis*
Humans
Netherlands / epidemiology
Pesticides / analysis*
Prevalence

Substances

Pesticides