Worries about modernity predict symptom complaints after environmental pesticide spraying

Concerns about environmental and technological changes affecting health have been shown to be associated with symptom reports in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to investigate how worries about modernity affecting health, negative affectivity, and prior symptom complaints influence health complain...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychosomatic medicine 2005-09, Vol.67 (5), p.778-782
Main Authors: Petrie, Keith J, Broadbent, Elizabeth A, Kley, Nadine, Moss-Morris, Rona, Horne, Rob, Rief, Winfried
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Affect
Animals
Animals, Domestic
Anxiety
Attitude to Health
Environmental conditions
Environmental Exposure - adverse effects
Female
Health
Health Status
Health Surveys
Humans
Linear Models
Male
Pest Control - methods
Pesticides
Pesticides - adverse effects
Prospective Studies
Sampling Studies
Social Change
Social psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Worry
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Summary:Concerns about environmental and technological changes affecting health have been shown to be associated with symptom reports in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to investigate how worries about modernity affecting health, negative affectivity, and prior symptom complaints influence health complaints after environmental spraying in a prospective study. Two hundred ninety-two residents of West Auckland completed questionnaires measuring recent symptoms, negative affect, and concerns about the effects of modernity on health before aerial spraying of their neighborhood with Foray 48B. After spraying, 181 residents (62%) returned a follow-up questionnaire measuring symptoms, spray-avoidance behavior, and the perceived effect of the spray program on health. The number of symptoms reported after the spray was most closely related to the number of symptoms reported at baseline (beta = 0.40, p = .0001). Higher levels of modern health worries (beta = 0.23, p = .001) and baseline symptoms (beta = 0.17, p < .05) were associated with a higher number of symptoms being attributed to the spray program. Modern health worries also predicted avoidance behavior during the spraying times (beta = 0.32, p = .001) and the belief that the health of participants and the health of their children and pets was affected by the spray (all p < .01). Worries about aspects of modern life affecting health can strongly influence the attribution of symptoms and beliefs about health effects after environmental incidents.
ISSN:0033-3174
1534-7796
DOI:10.1097/01.psy.0000181277.48575.a4