ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pesticide exposure and depression. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in a study population of 252 Greek male farmers using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Cumulative pesticide exposure was categorized in three mutually exclusive groups related to lifetime pesticide use: low (<275 days, the reference group), intermediate (276 to 1200 days), and high (>1200 days). Acute pesticide exposure was categorized in pesticide poisoning events and high pesticide exposure events. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed, and odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and P values were presented. FINDINGS: After adjusting for confounding factors, a positive significant association was found between both high-exposure group and high pesticide exposure events and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from acute, high cumulative pesticide exposure may as well contribute to the development of depression.
Subject(s)
Depression , Farmers , Occupational Exposure , Pesticides , Humans , Male , Greece/epidemiology , Pesticides/poisoning , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Occupational Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Middle Aged , Depression/epidemiology , Depression/chemically induced , Adult , Farmers/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Logistic Models , Agricultural Workers' Diseases/chemically induced , Agricultural Workers' Diseases/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Evidence suggests that farm workers represent a high-risk population for the development of depression. The aim of the study was to clarify the association between pesticide exposure/poisoning and depression. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis were conducted in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Relevant studies were included through searching in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, CINAHL and pre-print services databases. A total of eight studies were included. A positive but non-significant association was observed between pesticide use and depression (OR = 1.123; 95% CI, 0.932-1.354, p-value = .221) while a significant positive association was observed between pesticide poisoning and depression (OR = 2.942; 95% CI, 1.791-4.831, p-value < .001). The present meta-analysis suggested clearly a significant positive association between pesticide poisoning and depression, confirming the hypothesis that pesticide poisoning is a risk factor of depression. It also revealed positive, yet non-significant association, between pesticide exposure and depression, a finding that enhances recent research but requires to be further supported by future cohort studies, including socioeconomic factors and biomarkers of depression.
