THE AGRICULTURAL HEALTH STUDY

The Agricultural Health Study, a large prospective cohort study, has b een initiated in North Carolina and Iowa. The objectives of this study are to: 1) identify and quantify cancer risks among men, women, white s, and minorities associated with direct exposure to pesticides and ot her agricultural agents; 2) evaluate noncancer heath risks including n eurotoxicity, reproductive effects, immunologic effects, nonmalignant respiratory disease, kidney disease, and growth and development among children; 3) evaluate disease risks among spouses and children of farm ers that may arise from direct contact with pesticides and agricultura l chemicals used in the home, lawns and gardens, and from indirect con tact, such as spray drift, laundering work clothes, or contaminated fo od or water; 4) assess current and past occupational and nonoccupation al agricultural exposures using periodic interviews and environmental and biologic monitoring, 5) study the relationship between agricultura l exposures, biomarkers of exposure, biologic effect, and genetic susc eptibility factors relevant to carcinogenesis; and 6) identify and qua ntify cancer and other disease risks associated with lifestyle factors such as diet, cooking practices, physical activity, smoking and alcoh ol consumption, and hair dye use. In the first year of a 3-year enroll ment period, 26,235 people have been enrolled in the study including 1 9,776 registered pesticide applicators and 6,459 spouses of registered farmer applicators. It is estimated that when the total cohort is ass embled in 1997 it will include approximately 75,000 adult study subjec ts. Farmers, the largest group of registered pesticide applicators, co mprise 77% of the target population enrolled in the study. This experi ence compares favorably with enrollment rates of previous prospective studies.