Urinary biomarkers of exposure to insecticides, herbicides, and one insect repellent among pregnant women in Puerto Rico

Table 4 Associations between pest-related issues and urinary concentrations of pesticide biomarkers

Variable	DCBA^a		DHMB		3-PBA		trans-DCCA		2,4-D
Variable	N	β (95% CI)^b	N (≥LOD)	OR (95% CI)^c	N (≥LOD)	OR (95% CI)^c	N (≥LOD)	OR (95% CI)^c	N (≥LOD)	OR (95% CI)^c
Insects (inside) ^d
Yes	71	0.2 (-0.2, 0.7)	73 (20)	1.6 (0.7, 3.9)	69 (35)	1.6 (0.8, 3.2)	73 (9)	—	73 (7)	0.7 (0.2, 2.2)
No	69		69 (13)	1.0	63 (25)	1.0	69 (0)	1.0	69 (9)	1.0
Pesticides (inside) ^e
Yes	6	-0.2 (-1.2, 0.8)	7 (1)	0.5 (0.1, 5.0)	6 (1)	0.2 (0.0, 2.1)	7 (1)	2.6 (0.3, 26.2)	7 (0)	—
No	134		135 (32)	1.0	126 (59)	1.0	135 (8)	1.0	135 (16)	1.0
Pesticides (inside) ^f
Yes	31	0.3 (-0.2, 0.7)	32 (9)	1.4 (0.5, 3.6)	29 (15)	1.4 (0.6, 3.4)	32 (5)	4.9 (1.1, 22.1)*	32 (2)	0.5 (0.1, 2.2)
No	109		110 (24)	1.0	103 (45)	1.0	110 (4)	1.0	110 (14)	1.0
Pesticides (outside) ^g
Yes	11	0.3 (-0.4, 1.0)	11 (2)	0.7 (0.1, 3.6)	11 (5)	1.0 (0.3, 3.3)	11 (1)	1.5 (0.2, 13.8)	11 (1)	0.8 (0.1, 6.7)
No	128		130 (31)	1.0	120 (55)	1.0	130 (8)	1.0	130 (15)	1.0
Pesticides (home/lawn) ^h
Yes	16	0.6 (-0.0, 1.2)	17 (7)	2.7 (0.9, 8.0)	17 (10)	1.9 (0.6, 5.9)	17 (3)	4.3 (0.7, 24.7)	17 (1)	0.5 (0.1, 4.0)
No	124		125 (26)	1.0	115 (50)	1.0	125 (6)	1.0	125 (15)	1.0
Pesticides(stored) ⁱ
Yes	95	-0.4 (-0.9, 0.0)	97 (20)	0.6 (0.3, 1.4)	92 (41)	0.9 (0.4, 2.0)	97 (7)	1.7 (0.3, 9.1)	97 (8)	0.4 (0.1, 1.5)
No	45		45 (13)	1.0	40 (19)	1.0	45 (2)	1.0	45 (8)	1.0
Insect repellent ^j
Yes	16	1.2 (0.4, 2.0)*	17 (6)	0.3 (0.1, 1.3)	17 (8)	0.7 (0.2, 2.3)	17 (3)	0.1 (0.0, 1.5)	17 (3)	0.8 (0.1, 5.0)
No	33		33 (5)	1.0	29 (11)	1.0	33 (1)	1.0	33 (2)	1.0

Abbreviations: β beta coefficient, CI confidence interval, LOD limit of detection OR odds ratio.
^aBiomarker concentration was sg-corrected and log-transformed; ^bβ and associated 95% CI calculated using a linear mixed model with a random subject effect and a fixed effect for pest-related issue; ^cOR and 95% CI calculated using a generalized estimating equation with a fixed effect for home pest-related issue; ^dinsects a common nuisance inside home; ^epesticides applied inside home by a professional exterminator regardless of time since last application; ^fpesticides applied inside home by participant regardless of time since last application; ^gpesticides applied outside home by participant regardless of time since last application; ^hpesticides applied to home or lawn by participant in past 48-hr; ⁱpesticides currently stored inside home; ^jinsect repellent spray, lotion, or towelette use since becoming pregnant (information was collected at visit 2 only, thus effect estimates were derived from linear or logistic regression models); *p <0.05.

ISSN: 1476-069X