American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Volume 43, Issue 2, 2003. Pages: 227-233
Copyright © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

National Health Interview Survey Mortality among
US Farmers and Pesticide Applicators

Lora E. Fleming, MD, PhD 1 *, Orlando Gómez-Marín, PhD, MSc 1 2, Diane Zheng, MS 1, Fangchao Ma, MD 1, David Lee, PhD 1
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
2Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida

email: Terry Pitman

*Correspondence to Lora E. Fleming, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1801 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 200, Highland Professional Building, Miami, Florida, 33136.

Funded by:
NIOSH-funded Deep South Agricultural Center (University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida)
NIOSH; Grant Number: R01 0H03915-01

Keywords:
cancer mortality • mortality • farmers • pesticide applicators • National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

Background:
The mortality experience of pesticide-exposed workers across the US has not been thoroughly studied.

Methods:
Cox regression mortality analyses adjusted for the complex sample survey design were performed on mortality-linked 1986-1994 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data.

Results:
Nine thousand four hundred seventy-one farmers and pesticide applicators with 571 deaths were compared to 438,228 other US workers with 11,992 deaths. Age-adjusted risk of accidental death, as well as cancers of the nervous and lymphatic/hematopoietic systems, was significantly elevated in male and female pesticide-exposed workers; breast, prostate, and testicular cancer mortality risks were not elevated.

Conclusions:
Compared to all other workers, farmers and pesticide applicators were at greater risk of accidental mortality. These pesticide-exposed workers were not at an increased risk of cancers possibly associated with exposure to estrogen analogue compounds, but were at an increased risk of hematopoietic and nervous system cancers. NHIS mortality follow-up represents an important occupational health surveillance instrument.
Am. J. Ind. Med. 43: 227-233, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.