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T E Arbuckle

Publications and source records attributed to T E Arbuckle.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Stress on the farm and its association with injury.

The objectives of this study were to examine associations between perceived psychosocial stress and farm injury among men and women in Ontario, Canada. Cross-sectional data from the Ontario Farm Family Health Study were used to investigate perceived levels of stress, farm injuries and their interrelationships. Age-standardized rates of injury were 13.3/100/year and 3.8/100/year for men and women, respectively. The most common types of injury were strains/sprains/torn ligaments and cuts/lacerations. Approximately 18% of men and 11% of women reported that their lives were "very stressful." Common sources of stress were money worries and feeling overworked. The risk for farm injury increased with level of stress. For men, the adjusted odds ratios for injury were: 1.00 (referent), 1.02 (95% CI: 0.72, 1.42), and 1.61 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.41)for lowest to highest stress levels, respectively. For women, adjusted odds ratios were: 1.00 (referent), 1.43 (95% CI: 0.83, 2.47), and 2.73 (95% CI: 1.38, 5.39). These risks were especially pronounced among women who were not employed off the farm. This study represents a novel quantitative analysis examining associations between perceived psychological stress and farm injury. Future research should investigate these associations in other farm populations, confirm their temporal directions, and further explore the effect of gender on the strength of these associations.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2001

An exploratory analysis of the effect of pesticide exposure on the risk of spontaneous abortion in an Ontario farm population.

The toxicity of pesticides on human reproduction is largely unknown--particularly how mixtures of pesticide products might affect fetal toxicity. The Ontario Farm Family Health Study collected data by questionnaire on the identity and timing of pesticide use on the farm, lifestyle factors, and a complete reproductive history from the farm operator and eligible couples living on the farm. A total of 2,110 women provided information on 3,936 pregnancies, including 395 spontaneous abortions. To explore critical windows of exposure and target sites for toxicity, we examined exposures separately for preconception (3 months before and up to month of conception) and postconception (first trimester) windows and for early (< 12 weeks) and late (12-19 weeks) spontaneous abortions. We observed moderate increases in risk of early abortions for preconception exposures to phenoxy acetic acid herbicides [odds ratio (OR) = 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-2.1], triazines (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0-2.0), and any herbicide (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9). For late abortions, preconception exposure to glyphosate (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9), thiocarbamates (OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0), and the miscellaneous class of pesticides (OR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.4) was associated with elevated risks. Postconception exposures were generally associated with late spontaneous abortions. Older maternal age (> 34 years of age) was the strongest risk factor for spontaneous abortions, and we observed several interactions between pesticides in the older age group using Classification and Regression Tree analysis. This study shows that timing of exposure and restricting analyses to more homogeneous endpoints are important in characterizing the reproductive toxicity of pesticides.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1999

The effect of pesticide exposure on time to pregnancy.

The Ontario Farm Family Health Study provided data for examination of the effects of pesticide exposure on time to pregnancy. In this retrospective cohort study of farm couples in Ontario, Canada, the farm operator, husband, and wife completed questionnaires during 1991-1992. We asked about pesticides used on the farm and pesticide activities of the husband and wife for each month of trying to conceive. After exclusions, 2,012 planned pregnancies remained for analysis. We used an analog of the Cox proportional hazards model to calculate conditional fecundability ratios (conditional on pregnancy). There was no strong or consistent pattern of associations of pesticide exposure with time to pregnancy. During exposure intervals in which women participated in pesticide activities (during most of which the men also participated), however, 6 of 13 pesticide exposure categories were associated with a decrease in fecundability (conditional fecundability ratio range = 0.51-0.80). For exposure intervals in which only the men participated in pesticide activities or in which neither men nor women participated in pesticide activities but pesticides had been used on the farm, conditional fecundability ratios ranged from 0.75 to 1.50, with no apparent consistency among pesticide classes, chemical families, or active ingredients.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1999

Exposure to phenoxy herbicides and the risk of spontaneous abortion.

The Ontario Farm Family Health Study was designed to assess retrospectively the potential adverse effects of exposure to pesticides on pregnancy. Information on the health and life style of approximately 2,000 farm couples, as well as a history of use of pesticides on the farm, was collected by questionnaire. This analysis focuses on pre- and postconception exposure to phenoxy herbicides and the risk of spontaneous abortion using the complete (to date) pregnancy history for each woman. Preconception exposure (from 3 months before conception to the month of conception) was weakly associated with the risk of spontaneous abortion at <20 weeks' gestation [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.6-1.9]. When the analyses were restricted to spontaneous abortions of <12 weeks, the risk was more than doubled (adjusted OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.0-6.4), but the results were sensitive to the cutpoint used. If the husband did not normally wear protective equipment during application, the crude OR for early spontaneous abortions was 5.0 (95% CI = 0.7-36.2). Exposure to phenoxy herbicides during the first trimester was generally not associated with increased risk of spontaneous abortion. The results suggest a possible role of preconception (possibly paternal) exposures to phenoxy herbicides in the risk of early spontaneous abortions.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1998

Pesticide exposures and fetal death: a review of the epidemiologic literature.

Despite considerable concern regarding the effects on reproductive outcome of exposures to pesticides, convincing evidence for the developmental toxicity of occupational and environmental pesticide exposure in humans is lacking. In this comprehensive review of the English language epidemiologic literature, we summarize studies that have examined potential associations between fetal deaths (both spontaneous abortions and stillbirths) and specific pesticides, as well as maternal and paternal employment in occupations with potential for exposure. While many of the epidemiologic studies to date suffer from methodologic problems, the data are suggestive of increased risks of fetal deaths associated with pesticides in general and maternal employment in the agricultural industry. There is a clear need for epidemiologic research that focuses on specific pesticide products or chemical families, with improved exposure assessment. The potential role of solvents in developmental toxicity associated with pesticide use by both males and females should also be considered.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
PubMed1997

Effects of cigarette smoking, caffeine consumption, and alcohol intake on fecundability.

Data from the Ontario Farm Family Health Study were analyzed to determine whether smoking, caffeine, or alcohol use among men and women affect fecundability (the monthly probability of conception). In this retrospective cohort study of farm couples in Ontario, Canada, the farm operator, husband, and wife completed questionnaires during 1991-1992, yielding information on 2,607 planned pregnancies that had occurred over the previous 30 years. Fecundability ratios were calculated using an analog of the Cox proportional hazards model. Cigarette smoking among women and men was associated with decreased fecundability (fecundability ratio = 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-0.98 and fecundability ratio = 0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.95, respectively). Caffeine consumption of 100 mg or less versus more than 100 mg in women and men was not associated with fecundability (fecundability ratio = 0.98, 95% CI 0.91-1.07 and fecundability ratio = 1.05, 95% CI 0.97-1.14, respectively). Decreases were observed among women who were coffee drinkers (fecundability ratio = 0.92, 95% CI 0.84-1.00) and men who were heavy tea drinkers (fecundability ratio = 0.85, 95% CI 0.69-1.05), regardless of caffeine content. Alcohol use among women and men was not associated with fecundability. These data are consistent with previous studies of the adverse effect of tobacco on fecundability in female smokers and suggest an effect of smoking among males. Continued evaluation of coffee and tea is warranted to address constituents other than caffeine.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Birth weight percentiles by gestational age in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To develop current birth weight norms by gestational age for singleton and twin births in Canada. METHODS: Birth weight data were obtained from vital statistics and health department birth registrations for over one million live births in Canada from 1986-1988. Unlikely combinations of birth weight and gestational age were defined within each stratum of multiplicity, gender, and gestational age as records with birth weights more than two interquartile ranges above the 75th percentile or below the 25th percentile. Birth weight percentiles (from first to 99th) by gestational age and sex were calculated for singleton and twin live births. RESULTS: Of the total records, 0.4% were missing data on birth weight or gestational age, and an additional 0.4% were identified as extreme outliers and were excluded from the analysis. Charts of birth weight by gestational age show percentiles 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, 95, 97, and 99 by sex for singleton and twin live births. CONCLUSIONS: The large data base assembled for this analysis provides current, stable birth weight-gestational age percentiles for classifying newborns from a developed country as small, appropriate, or large for gestational age. Compared with birth weight distributions from the 1970s, these current norms are heavier for full-term infants and the interdecile range for preterm infants is narrower. We recommend that birth weight norms be updated every 5-10 years.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1989

An analysis of birth weight by gestational age in Canada.

Birth-weight-gestational-age standards help to identify infants in need of special care and to determine causes and means for preventing retardation of intrauterine growth. Previously published standards either were based on small samples, data several decades old or characteristics of subpopulations in the United States or they were not specific for type of birth and sex. We compared the data for live births in 1972 with those in 1986 to develop current Canadian standards for type of birth (singleton or twin) and sex. We found that the 10th, 50th and 90th percentile figures for weight were slightly higher in 1986 than in 1972 for term deliveries (at 37 weeks' gestation or later), but the figures were virtually unchanged for preterm deliveries. The availability of reliable population-based standards should enhance the clinician's ability to identify true cases of retardation or acceleration of intrauterine growth.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of the risk factors for pre-term delivery and intrauterine growth retardation.

In a follow-up study of the pregnant women interviewed in the Nutrition Canada survey, we investigated predictors of intrauterine growth retardation (less than or equal to 10th percentile of the birthweight-gestational age distribution for the 1972 Canadian population), and pre-term delivery (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation), by classifying these two endpoints as either small-for-gestational age and not pre-term (SGA-NPT), or not small-for-gestational age but pre-term (NSGA-PT). Education, age, household income level, number of previous livebirths, number of cigarettes smoked per day while pregnant, alcohol consumption (spirits only), serum Vitamin C and haemoglobin levels, pre-pregnancy weight, height, and sex of the infant were related to NSGA-PT deliveries in univariate analyses; serum Vitamin A, smoking history, calorie intake, height and pre-pregnancy weight were similarly associated with the risk of SGA-NPT outcomes. When considered jointly in multivariate logistic regression analysis, however, the significant predictors were reduced to: height and pre-pregnancy weight for SGA-NPT and mother's education, sex of the infant, and household income level for NSGA-PT.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid residues in semen of Ontario farmers.

Although paternal exposures to environmental toxicants probably play a role in adverse pregnancy outcomes, few data are available on the extent of this exposure. One semen and two 24-h urine samples were collected from 97 Ontario farmers who had recently used the phenoxy herbicides 2,4-D (2.4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and/or MCPA ([4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyl acetic acid). Both samples were analyzed for 2,4-D using an immunoassay-based technique. Approximately 50% of the semen samples had detectable levels of 2, 4-D (> or =5.0 pph (ng/mL)). Semen levels of 2.4-D were correlated more closely with the second of the two urine samples. Although several studies have measured 2.4-D in the urine of applicators, this study is the first to attempt to measure 2,4-D levels in semen. As these pesticides can be excreted in the semen, they could be toxic to sperm cells and be transported to the woman and developing embryo/fetus. Further research is needed to understand how pesticide handling practices can affect semen pesticide residues and the relationship between the levels observed and reproductive health.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Water nitrates and CNS birth defects: a population-based case-control study.

The relation between maternal exposure to nitrates in drinking water and risk of delivering an infant with a central nervous system (CNS) malformation was examined by means of a case-control study in New Brunswick, Canada. All cases of CNS defects for a "high" and a "low" prevalence area of New Brunswick, for the years 1973-1983, were included in the study. Controls were selected randomly from the livebirth files for the province, matched on county of maternal residence and date of birth. One hundred and thirty (130) cases were identified and individually matched with two controls each. Individual water samples were collected from the case and control mother's address given on the birth or stillbirth records. The study revealed that the effect of nitrate exposure in water was modified by whether the source of the drinking water was a private well or a public municipal distribution system. Compared to a baseline nitrate level of 0.1 ppm, exposure to nitrate levels of 26 ppm from private well water sources was associated with a moderate, but not statistically significant, increase in risk (risk odds ratio = 2.30; 95% confidence interval = 0.73-7.29). If the source of drinking water was a municipal distribution system or a private spring, an increase in nitrate exposure was associated with a decrease in risk of delivering a CNS-malformed infant; however, these effect estimates were not statistically significant. The positive increase in risk with nitrate exposure from well water sources requires further study using a larger case series and a larger proportion of exposures to nitrate levels exceeding 5 ppm.

Central Nervous System↗