University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 321 S Columbia St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Ms Varnell), Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Mr Arnold, Dr Miles, Dr Daniel, Dr Sandberg, Dr Arcury), Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Dr Quandt), Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Ms Talton, Dr Chen), Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon (Dr Anderson).
Address correspondence to: Thomas A. Arcury, PhD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157 ([email protected]).
This research was supported by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD084420). The Institute had no involvement in the study conduct, in writing the paper, or in the decision to submit it for publication.
All procedures were approved by the Wake Forest School of Medicine Institutional Review Board. Participants’ parents provided written consent, and child participants provided written assent. The Board approved an exemption to be able to conduct interviews without parental permission among unaccompanied minors, defined as children younger than 18 years of age who had no parent with them in North Carolina.
Thomas A. Arcury, PhD, reports that in the 36 months prior to submission of this paper that he had financial relationships for consultation with Meharry Medical College (Nashville, TN), and for expert testimony with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kim Anderson, an author of this research, discloses a financial interest in MyExposure, which is marketing products related research reported in this paper. The terms of this arrangement have been reviewed and approved by Oregon State University in accordance with its policy on research conflicts of interest. None of the other authors declares any actual or potential competing financial interest.
Clinical Significance: This study is the first description and analysis of menstrual cycle characteristics in child and adolescent farmworkers. Results show this population to have a higher rate of menstrual cycle irregularities than expected, based on American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines. Exposure to endocrine disrupting pesticides may explain these findings.
