Associations of Acetylcholinesterase Activity with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms among Adolescents Growing Up near Pesticide Spray Sites

摘要

Background: Self-reports of pesticide exposures have been associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms among adult agricultural workers; research among children and adolescents is lacking and no studies have described these associations using biomarkers of exposure. Methods: Methods: We estimated the associations among 516 adolescents (ages 12-19y) in 2016 living in floricultural communities in Ecuador: The ESPINA study. Children's acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity (lower values reflect greater organophosphate or carbamate pesticide exposure) was measured in a finger-stick sample. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the CDI-2 and MASC-2 (greater t-scores reflect greater internalizing symptoms). Models adjusted forage, gender, hemoglobin and anthropometric measures. Results: 51% of participants were female; the median age was 14.4y. The mean (SD) of the following parameters were: AChE 3.7 U/mL (0.55), depression t-score 53.0 (9.4) and anxiety t-score: 57.6 (9.8). AChE activity was inversely related to depression score (difference per SD decrease of AChE [B]: 0.87 units [95%CI: -0.18,1.91]); the OR for moderately elevated depression score (>55) per SD decrease of AChE was 1.28 [1.00,1.62]. The association was stronger among children <14.4y (B: 2.00 units [0.22, 3.78]; OR: 1.41 [1.02,1.96]) than among older adolescents (β: 0.28 units [-1.03, 1.60], OR: 1.17 [0.85, 1.62]). These associations were strengthened after accounting for 2008 AChE values. Among children <14.4y, the associations were stronger in girls (OR: 1.91 [1.00, 3.65]) than boys (OR: 0.90 [0.40, 2.03]). No associations were observed with anxiety scores. Discussion: This is the first study to describe associations between a biomarker of pesticide exposure and depression symptoms, in one of the largest studies of its kind. Cholinesterase inhibition may affect the mood towards depression of non-agricultural-worker adolescents, particularly among girls during early adolescence.