Phitsadang Nichapa, Naksen Warangkana, Ong-Artborirak Parichat
Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
Department of Research and Medical Innovation, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Thailand.
Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2025 Jun 26;76(1):29-37. doi: 10.32394/rpzh/200912. Epub 2025 Feb 27.
Thai farmers are directly exposed to pesticides, which may result in adverse effects including cognitive impairment.
The aim of this study was to examine the association between occupational pesticide exposure and cognitive decline among adult farmers in northern Thailand.
This cross-sectional study included 303 pesticide-using farmers over the age of 50 from Doi Tao District in Chiang Mai Province. Pesticide exposure score was calculated using an algorithm that considered personal protective equipment (PPE) scores and exposure intensity scores, as well as lifetime application days. The scores were classified as high or low exposure based on their median. The Thai version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was used to assess cognitive function.
The mean age of adult farmers was 58.74 years. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 93.7%, with an average score of 19.6. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient showed that the MoCA score was adversely correlated with lifetime application days (r = -0.145), PPE score (r = -0.163), exposure intensity score (r = -0.184), and pesticide exposure score (r = -0.225). Linear regression revealed that high exposed farmers had significantly lower MoCA scores than low exposed farmers, as measured by PPE score (B = -0.75; 95% CI: -1.46, -0.05), exposure intensity score (B = -0.97; 95% CI: -1.66, -0.27), and pesticide exposure score (B = -0.77; 95% CI: -1.47, -0.06), after controlling for sex, age, education, income sufficiency, and body mass index.
Thai farmers are at risk of cognitive impairment linked to occupational pesticide exposure, depending on their PPE use and exposure intensity. There is still a critical need for action to reduce the risk of negative health effects from pesticide exposure among Thai farmers.
泰国农民直接接触农药，这可能导致包括认知障碍在内的不良影响。
本研究旨在探讨泰国北部成年农民职业性农药接触与认知能力下降之间的关联。
这项横断面研究纳入了清迈府湄林县303名年龄在50岁以上使用农药的农民。使用一种算法计算农药接触得分，该算法考虑了个人防护装备（PPE）得分、接触强度得分以及终生施用天数。根据中位数将得分分为高接触或低接触。使用泰国版蒙特利尔认知评估（MoCA）测试评估认知功能。
成年农民的平均年龄为58.74岁。认知障碍患病率为93.7%，平均得分为19.6。斯皮尔曼等级相关系数表明，MoCA得分与终生施用天数（r = -0.145）、PPE得分（r = -0.163）、接触强度得分（r = -0.184）和农药接触得分（r = -0.225）呈负相关。线性回归显示，在控制了性别、年龄、教育程度、收入充足程度和体重指数后，按PPE得分（B = -0.75；95%CI：-1.46，-0.05）、接触强度得分（B = -0.97；95%CI：-1.66，-0.27）和农药接触得分（B = -0.77；95%CI：-1.47，-0.06）衡量，高接触农民的MoCA得分显著低于低接触农民。
泰国农民存在与职业性农药接触相关的认知障碍风险，这取决于他们对PPE的使用情况和接触强度。仍迫切需要采取行动降低泰国农民因接触农药而产生负面健康影响的风险。
