Pesticide exposure: a population-based study in a rural area in southern Brazil

ABSTRACT: Objective: To estimate the prevalence of pesticide exposure and associated factors among rural residents. Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional study conducted with 1,518 individuals in 2016. We randomly selected 24 census tracts from the eight rural districts of the city of Pelotas, RS. All individuals aged 18 years or older, living in the randomly selected households were eligible. A descriptive analysis was performed and the prevalence of contact with pesticides was presented. The association between outcome and independent variables was analyzed using Poisson regression according to the hierarchical model. The variables were all adjusted to the same level, including those at the previous level and those with p