%0 Journal Article
%T Child's play: exposure to household pesticide use among children in rural, urban and informal areas of South Africa
%J South African medical journal SAMJ
%D 2009
%A Tolosana, Sandy
%A Rother, Hanna-Andrea
%A London, Leslie
%V 99
%N 3
%P 180-184
%X BACKGROUND: As part of a larger dermatological investigation undertaken in 1999 - 2001 involving the Department of Dermatology, Groote Schuur Hospital (Cape Town, South Africa) and Nottingham University (UK), household pesticide use was investigated among Xhosa-speaking families living in three areas in South Africa (a rural area, an urban township and an informal settlement). OBJECTIVES: The aim was to characterise pesticide use patterns and potential exposures through skin absorption, ingestion and inhalation for this group of South African children. METHODS: A standardised questionnaire, which included a section investigating household pesticide use, was administered by four trained fieldworkers to the parents/guardians of the 740 children (25%) aged between 3 and 11 years identified as having atopic dermatitis either by clinical examination or according to the UK criteria (rural N=387, urban N=292, informal N=61). RESULTS: Of the children with atopic dermatitis, 539 (73%) had been exposed to household pesticides. Most childhood exposure (89%) occurred in the informal settlements, followed by 78% in the urban area and 63% in the rural area. CONCLUSIONS: This research highlighted considerable home environment pesticide exposure of South African children in lower socio-economic groups in rural, urban and informal areas. As children are particularly vulnerable to the short- and long-term health effects of pesticide exposure, further in-depth investigation is needed to ascertain and document the health effects associated with such exposure in the home.<p /><p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I South African Medical Association
%@ 0038-2469
%U http://dx.doi.org/