Abstract

There are reports of unsafe occupational handling and use of pesticide in recently intensifying commercial farming systems in Ethiopia. Very few studies reported the effect of occupational pesticide exposure on smaller airway respiratory parameters of farm workers from low and middle-income counties. A cross-sectional spirometry survey was carried out on randomly selected 387 subjects with an objective of investigating whether occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with a reduction in values of smaller airway respiratory parameters. 206 occupationally exposed (142 male pesticide applicators and 64 female re-entry workers) selected from commercial farms and 180 occupationally un-exposed male and female individuals involved in the survey. After controlling for potential confounders, pesticide exposure in male study subjects was associated with reduced respiratory parameters of Forced Expired Flow at 25% of vital capacity (FEF25%) (l/s) [β=−0.69 (95% CI −1.11_−0.27)] and Forced Expired Flow at 75% of vital capacity (FEF75%) (l/s) [β=−0.49 (95% CI −0.78_−0.20]. Also a reduction in respiratory parameters of Forced Expired Flow at 50% of vital capacity (FEF50%) [β=−0.52 (95% CI −0.95_−0.09)] was seen among exposed female subjects. The study indicated occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with a reduction of respiratory parameters of smaller airways in both male and female farm workers. Further longitudinal studies on respiratory parameters are warranted in Ethiopian farm workers.