Association of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid levels with self-reported depression symptoms in a rural elderly population in Asan, South Korea.
- Author:
Bokyeong KIM
1
;
Ara JUNG
;
Dongmin YUN
;
Mira LEE
;
Mee Ri LEE
;
Yoon Hyeong CHOI
;
Yongbae KIM
;
Choonghee PARK
;
Yun Chul HONG
;
Sungroul KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Aging population; Depression; Insecticid; 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid
- MeSH: Aged*; Chungcheongnam-do*; Creatinine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression*; Female; Humans; Insecticides; Insurance; Korea*; Logistic Models; Male; Marital Status; Mass Spectrometry; Risk Factors; Smoke; Smoking
- From:Environmental Health and Toxicology 2015;30(1):e2015002-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the association between presence of depression symptoms and the exposure level to insecticides among aged population in rural area, determined via measured levels of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), after controlling for socioeconomic confounding factors. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study design, we randomly recruited participants for our study (161 male and 239 female) from rural areas of Asan, Chungnam, Korea. Environmental risk factor exposure was assessed using a questionnaire, and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry was used to analyze urinary 3-PBA levels. We used a logistic regression analysis to assess the association of urinary 3-PBA levels with the presence of self-reported depression symptoms. RESULTS: After controlling for creatinine levels, the median (interquartile range) concentration of 3-PBA was approximately 1.5 times (p<0.05) higher among female (1.54 [0.90 to 2.35]) mug/g) than among male (1.06 [0.64 to 1.81] mug/g). Our study found that among female participants, the unit increase in 3-PBA levels exhibited a likely positive association (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.25) with an increased risk of presence of self-reported depression symptoms, after adjusting for socioeconomic insurance type, daily physical condition, marital status, smoking status, and age. CONCLUSIONS: Given our finding of a potential association between the presence of selfreported depression symptoms and 3-PBA levels, precautions should be considered to minimize exposure to insecticides and thus protect the health of aged residents in rural areas.
