Parkinson’s disease hospitalization rates and pesticide use in urban and non-urban regions of Brazil

Aline De Souza Espindola Santos,Noa Krawczyk,Volney De Magalhães Câmara,Christine Gibson Parks,Jaime Lima,Armando Meyer,Carmen Froes Ildes Asmus

doi:10.1590/1414-462x202129040236

Abstract

Abstract Background Few studies have evaluated the role played by pesticide exposure in the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Brazil. Objective This study aimed to investigate the association between pesticide use and PD hospitalization in Brazilian micro-regions. Method Pesticide expenditure per capita in 1985 and PD hospitalization rates (HR) from 1997 to 2007 were calculated for all 552 Brazilian micro-regions. The Spearman's correlation test was used to compare pesticide expenditure and PD HR by sex, age, and urban and non-urban micro-regions. Micro-regions were grouped according to the quintiles of pesticide expenditure. PD HR ratios (HRR) were calculated to compare PD HR across the quintiles of pesticide expenditure. Results Moderate correlation (r=0.518; p<0.001) between PD HR in non-urban micro-regions and pesticide expenditure was observed. In non-urban areas, compared with micro-regions of the first quintile of pesticide use, PD HRR ranged from 1.70 to 5.90 in micro-regions of higher pesticide use. In general, regardless of sex and age, the higher the use of pesticides, the greater the magnitude of PD HRR. Conclusion Our results suggest that pesticide use is associated with PD in Brazil, especially in non-urban areas where pesticides are used more intensively.

Highlights

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder[1]
Table 1 provides a description of the per capita expenditure on pesticides in Brazilian urban and non-urban micro-regions in 1985 and the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients between per capita pesticide expenditures and PD hospitalization rates (HR) according to age and sex
Non-urban micro-regions exhibited the highest PD HR ratios (HRR) in all quintiles compared with urban micro-regions, with a consistent rise in PD HRR as quintiles increase in per capita pesticide expenditure

Summary

Introduction

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder[1]. The common motor symptoms of PD, such as bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity and postural instability, are related to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway in the midbrain[2]. Method: Pesticide expenditure per capita in 1985 and PD hospitalization rates (HR) from 1997 to 2007 were calculated for all 552 Brazilian micro-regions. The Spearman’s correlation test was used to compare pesticide expenditure and PD HR by sex, age, and urban and non-urban micro-regions. Micro-regions were grouped according to the quintiles of pesticide expenditure. Results: Moderate correlation (r=0.518; p

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion