ABSTRACT
The association of chronic exposure to pesticides with overweight and abdominal obesity in adult farmers was investigated. This cross-sectional study included a random sample of 122 farmers and their family members of both sexes (61% were male), living in the municipality of Farroupilha, southern Brazil. Pesticide groups and their individual compounds were self-reported and classified according to major functional and chemical classes (never used, 1-20 years, or > 20 years of use). Abdominal obesity and overweight were the outcomes of interest. A multivariate Poisson regression model was analyzed. After confounding factors were controlled, chronic use (>20 years) of insecticides (PR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.00-2.10) and organophosphorus pesticides (PR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.02-2.12) was associated with a higher prevalence of overweight but not abdominal obesity. Additional studies are needed to confirm our findings and clarify the specific mechanisms of these pollutants in the etiology of obesity.
