Statistical techniques applied to environmental health sciences

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

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Abstract

We have recently guided the data analysis for several projects, primarily involving data from the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators (mostly farmers) from Iowa and North Carolina, including a sub-study of the AHS, the Agricultural Lung Health Study (ALHS). (See ES049030, Dale Sandler PI, for AHS; ES102385, Stephanie London PI, for ALHS). Using data from the AHS, we examined associations between use of specific pesticides and incident Parkinsons disease. We found that use of the insecticide terbufos and of the herbicides trifluralin and 2,4,5-T were associated with increased risk. In addition, use of chemical-resistant gloves was associated with reduced risk. Also using data from the AHS, we found associations of a number of individual pesticides in different chemical classes with self-reported olfactory impairment, a possible prodromal symptom of Parkinsons disease. Within the ALHS cohort, we investigated possible interactions between genetic risk scores for impaired pulmonary function and smoking, asthma, and endotoxin. Although we found no interaction of genetic risk scores with endotoxin exposure, associations with genetic risk scores were stronger for current or former smokers than non-smokers and stronger for asthmatics than non-asthmatics.