Long-term health effects of early life exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated drinking water: a retrospective cohort study

Aschengrau, Ann; Winter, Michael R; Vieira, Veronica M; Webster, Thomas F; Janulewicz, Patricia A; Gallagher, Lisa G; Weinberg, Janice; Ozonoff, David M

doi:10.1186/s12940-015-0021-z

Environmental Health

Table 2 Distribution of selected characteristics of subjects and parents by PCE exposure status

From: Long-term health effects of early life exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated drinking water: a retrospective cohort study

Characteristic	Prenatal and early childhood exposure		Unexposed
	(N = 831)		(N = 547)
	n	%	n	%
Current age (n, mean, sd)	831	29.2 (3.6)	547	29.6 (3.8)
Gender
Male	331	39.8	216	39.5
Female	500	60.2	331	60.5
% White race	818	98.4	539	98.5
Current educational level
High school graduate or less	128	15.4	67	12.2
Some college	192	23.1	144	26.3
Four year college grad or higher	510	61.4	335	61.2
Missing	1	0.1	1	0.2
Currently employed
Yes	719	86.5	487	89.0
No	92	11.1	54	9.9
Missing	20	2.4	6	1.1
Current marital status
Single	272	32.7	157	28.7
Married or cohabitating	536	64.5	371	67.8
Other	19	2.3	12	2.2
Missing	4	0.5	7	1.3
Ever had solvent-exposed job
Yes	123	14.8	71	13.0
No	687	82.7	461	84.3
Missing	21	2.5	15	2.7
Ever had solvent-exposed hobby
Yes	700	84.2	462	84.5
No	124	14.9	79	14.4
Missing	7	0.8	6	1.1
Cigarette smoking history
Current	194	23.3	104	19.0
Former	180	21.7	134	24.5
Never	451	54.3	308	56.3
Missing	6	0.7	1	0.2
Current alcoholic beverage consumption
>8 days per month	256	30.8	181	33.1
<= 8 days per month	413	49.7	255	46.6
Non-drinker	149	17.9	108	19.7
Missing	13	1.6	3	0.5
Current major^a drug use
Yes	289	34.8	162	29.6
No	530	63.8	380	69.5
Missing	12	1.4	5	0.9
Mother’s age^b (n, mean (sd))	831	27.2 (4.7)	547	27.5 (4.4)
Father’s age^b (n, mean (sd))	831	29.8 (5.7)	547	29.8 (5.3)
Mother’s educational level^b
High school graduate or less	327	39.4	178	32.5
Some college	243	29.2	188	34.4
Four year college grad or higher	260	31.3	180	32.9
Missing	1	0.1	1	0.2
Father’s occupation^b
White collar	420	50.5	257	47.0
Blue collar	275	33.1	170	31.1
Other	126	15.2	112	20.5
Missing	10	1.2	8	1.5
Mother received prenatal care^b
Yes	794	95.5	520	95.1
No	4	0.5	0	0.0
Missing	33	4.0	27	4.9
Mother smoked cigarettes^b
Yes	182	21.9	113	20.7
No	483	58.1	330	60.3
Missing	166	20.0	104	19.0
Mother drank alcoholic beverages^b
Yes	302	36.3	201	36.7
No	361	43.4	242	44.2
Missing	168	20.2	104	19.0
Mother had medical and obstetrical complications^b
Yes	122	14.7	108	19.7
No	536	64.5	331	60.5
Missing	173	20.8	108	19.7
Mother had occupational exposure to solvents
Yes	76	9.1	51	9.3
No	573	69.0	381	69.7
Missing	182	21.9	115	21.0
Subject’s birth weight (n, mean, (sd))	823	3,443 (506)	499	3,414 (534)
Subject’s gestational age (n, mean, (sd))	790	40.1 (2.5)	516	39.9 (2.4)
Family history of cancer	225	27.1	141	25.8
Family history of epilepsy or seizure disorder	39	4.7	23	4.2
Family history of rheumatoid arthritis	64	7.7	41	7.5
Family history of blindness	11	1.3	6	1.1
Family history of color blindness	64	7.7	45	8.2
Family history of dry eyes	60	7.2	39	7.1
Family history of correctable^c vision impairment	786	94.6	514	94.0

^aMajor drugs include inhalants, cocaine, crack, psychedelics, hallucinogens, club drugs, designer drugs, heroin, and Ritalin without a prescription.
^bAt subject’s birth or during subject’s gestation.
^cCorrectable with eyeglasses or contact lenses.

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ISSN: 1476-069X

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