Background: Obesity is a serious condition because it is associated with other chronic diseases which affect the quality of life. In addition to diet and exercise, recent research has found that pesticide exposure might be another important risk factor. Methods: The objective of this large cross-sectional study was to determine the association between pesticide exposure and obesity among farmers in Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok province, Thailand. Data on pesticide use and obesity prevalence from 20,295 farmers aged 20 years and older was collected using an in-person interview questionnaire. The association was analysed using multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for its potential confounding factors. Results: Obesity was found to be associated with pesticide use in the past. The risk of obesity was significantly predicted by types of pesticides, including insecticides (OR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.09-4.74), herbicides (OR = 4.72, 95% CI 1.16-19.29), fungicides (OR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.37-3.44), rodenticides (OR = 2.52, 95% CI 1.59-3.99), and molluscicides (OR = 3.37, 95% CI 2.13-5.31). Among 35 surveyed individual pesticides, 24 were significantly associated with higher obesity prevalence (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.00-3.06 to OR = 8.37, 95% CI 3.97-17.64), including herbicide butachlor, 17 insecticides (three carbamate insecticides, five organochlorine insecticides, and nine organophosphate insecticides), and six fungicides. Conclusion: This study found obesity in farmers in Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok province, Thailand, to be associated with the long-term use of several types of pesticides. The issue should receive more public attention, and pesticide use should be strictly controlled.
Association of Long-Term Pesticide Exposure and Biologic Parameters in Female Farm Workers in Tanzania: A Cross Sectional Study