Acute Pesticide-Related Illnesses Among Working Youths, 1988-1999

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) 2003-04, Vol.93 (4), p.605-610
• Main Authors: Calvert, Geoffrey M, Mehler, Louise N, Rosales, Rachel, Baum, Lynden, Thomsen, Catherine, Male, Dorilee, Shafey, Omar, Das, Rupali, Lackovic, Michelle, Arvizu, Ernest
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Agricultural Workers' Diseases - chemically induced; Agricultural Workers' Diseases - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical compounds (mineral, organic); Chemical, physic and infectious diseases; Employment; Ethnicity; Fungicides, Industrial - poisoning; Health risks; Health services; Humans; Incidence; Insecticides; Insecticides - poisoning; Medical sciences; Occupational diseases; Occupational Diseases - chemically induced; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Occupational hazards; Occupational medicine; Occupations - classification; Occupations - legislation & jurisprudence; Occupations - statistics & numerical data; Personal protective equipment; Pesticides; Pesticides - classification; Pesticides - poisoning; Pesticides, fertilizers and other agrochemicals toxicology; Poisons; Population Surveillance; Prevention; Public health; Public Health Informatics; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Pyrethrins - poisoning; Research and Practice; Surveillance; Surveys; Toxicity; Toxicology; United States - epidemiology; USA; Young people; Younger workers
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.93.4.605

The goal of this study was to describe acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses among youths and to provide prevention recommendations. Survey data from 8 states and from poison control center data were analyzed. Illness incidence rates and incidence rate ratios were calculated. A total of 531 youths were identified with acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses. Insecticides were responsible for most of these illnesses (68%), most of which were of minor severity (79%). The average annual incidence rate among youths aged 15 to 17 years was 20.4 per billion hours worked, and the incidence rate ratio among youths vs adults was 1.71 (95% confidence interval = 1.53, 1.91). The present findings suggest the need for greater efforts to prevent acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses among adolescents.