Sex-Specific Associations of Early Life Exposure to the Pesticide Mixture with Cardiometabolic Outcomes in CHAMACOS...

Agricultural pesticide exposure has been linked to cardiometabolic health, but little is known about the long-term effects of exposure to pesticide mixtures during sensitive developmental periods. We examined prenatal and early childhood exposure to agricultural pesticide use within one km of residences in the CHAMACOS cohort (n = 505) in California's Salinas Valley. Twelve pesticides commonly applied in the region between 1999 and 2007 were included. At the age of 18 years, participants underwent clinical assessments of body mass index, waist circumference, insulin resistance, blood lipids, liver enzymes, and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Mixture associations were evaluated using statistical methods for correlated exposures, and single-pesticide models were examined separately. Analyses accounted for potential confounders and were stratified by sex. Higher early childhood exposure to the pesticide mixture was associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome in males (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.05) but not females (OR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.53, 1.26). Findings suggest that early life exposure to agricultural pesticide mixtures may contribute to adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in young men, underscoring the importance of considering sex-specific susceptibility in environmental health research.