Occupational Factors and Risk of Parkinson's Disease: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) has been associated with various workplace factors, but the evidence is inconsistent. Objective To estimate the risk of PD associated with various jobs and work-place exposures. Methods We conducted a population-based, case-control study of 404 incident PD cases and 526 age and sex-matched controls, collecting self-reported work histories including job titles and exposures to various industrial toxicants. Relative risks of PD from these exposures were estimated with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression. Results Risk was not significantly affected by farming work, by metal work, or by exposure to pesticides, metals, or solvents. Conclusions: These findings do not provide support for the hypothesis that workplace factors affect the risk of PD. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:217-223, 2010. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.