Project C1: Assessing health effects: non-English-speaking
children
Linda McCauley,
PI
Oregon Health & Science University
 Migrant
farm workers and their children are at
increased risk for exposure to agricultural
pesticides, inasmuch as they often live
in close proximity to agricultural operations
and are isolated by language and culture.
A major obstacle to addressing this problem
is the absence of culturally appropriate
interventions that allow us to monitor
and assess health effects associated with
pesticide exposures. To address this,
we have developed a neurobehavioral test
battery for non-English speaking Hispanic
children ages 4-9 and are testing the
hypothesis that these tests are reliable
in and accepted by non-English-speaking
children. We are also developing community-based
culturally appropriate methods of risk
communication for non-English speaking
communities with children exposed to organophosphate
pesticides.
 We
have collaborated with researchers from
Wake Forest University to evaluate the
influence of pesticide exposure on the
neurobehavioral status of the children
of migrant and seasonal farm workers in
North Carolina. Two geographic regions
were selected for this study: one highly
agricultural region that produces tobacco,
melons, and vegetable crops; and one rural
region where the main industry is poultry
production. In the agricultural region,
organophosphate pesticides and acephate
are frequently applied on crops.
Neurobehavioral data were collected from a sample of approximately
sixty 4-6 year old children of parents employed in agriculture
in North Carolina. None of the parents of participants from the
control group were employed in agriculture. Participants at each
site completed neurobehavioral testing two times, each test separated
by approximately 4 weeks. Analysis of the neurobehavioral assessments
is currently underway and is expected to be complete in early
2004.
A spot urine sample was collected at each test period in order
to test for organophosphate and acephate metabolites. Ninety-seven
urine samples are currently being analyzed for the organophosphate
metabolites at the CROET analytical laboratory; analysis is expected
to be complete in early 2004. We are collaborating with Dr. Vincent
R. Hebert, Research Director of the Food and Environmental quality
Laboratory at Washington State University, who will develop an
improved method of urinary acephate recovery.
House dust samples were collected from 11 homes in North Carolina
in order to characterize the potential for in-home exposure to
pesticides due to parents’ take-home contamination. These
samples will be analyzed for organophosphate pesticide residues
and acephate in the CROET analytical laboratory. Expected completion
is early 2004.
We have also developed a framework for communicating neurobehavioral
test results back to individual participants. Since there are
no norms for the neurobehavioral test results, information is
typically shared with the community in a manner that emphasizes
group differences rather than individual scores. The recent development
of a summary index score for results on all components of the
test battery will improve our ability to communicate results of
neurobehavioral testing to individuals and communities. The summary
index includes at least one measure from all of the neurobehavioral
tests and can be used to compare total neurobehavioral scores
for each participant or average scores for a community.
This project focuses on two factors of major importance that should
be addressed in research on the neurotoxic potential of environmental
chemicals: age, and cultural inequalities in environmental exposures.
Moreover, it is important to focus on the development of culturally
appropriate and relevant messages to the community regarding environmental
exposures and health risks. While this project is pesticide/neurotoxin-focused,
its community-based approach is nevertheless applicable to a wide
range of low level exposures to hazardous chemicals/targets associated
with contaminated soil and water.
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