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Worries about modernity predict symptom complaints after environmental pesticide spraying

Worries about modernity predict symptom complaints after environmental pesticide spraying
Worries about modernity predict symptom complaints after environmental pesticide spraying
Objective: Concerns about environmental and technological changes affecting health have been shown to be associated with symptom reports in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to investigate how worries about modernity affecting health, negative affectivity, and prior symptom complaints influence health complaints after environmental spraying in a prospective study.
Methods: Two hundred ninety-two residents of West Auckland completed questionnaires measuring recent symptoms, negative affect, and concerns about the effects of modernity on health before aerial spraying of their neighborhood with Foray 48B. After spraying, 181 residents (62%) returned a follow-up questionnaire measuring symptoms, spray-avoidance behavior, and the perceived effect of the spray program on health.
Results: The number of symptoms reported after the spray was most closely related to the number of symptoms reported at baseline (ß = 0.40, p = .0001). Higher levels of modern health worries (ß = 0.23, p = .001) and baseline symptoms (ß = 0.17, p < .05) were associated with a higher number of symptoms being attributed to the spray program. Modern health worries also predicted avoidance behavior during the spraying times (ß = 0.32, p = .001) and the belief that the health of participants and the health of their children and pets was affected by the spray (all p < .01).
Conclusion: Worries about aspects of modern life affecting health can strongly influence the attribution of symptoms and beliefs about health effects after environmental incidents.
symptom reports, modern health worries, environmental concerns, anxiety, environmental incidents
0033-3174
778-782
Petrie, Keith J.
13a60af9-094f-4ad3-898e-18ccd2c75b2c
Broadbent, Elizabeth A.
bb6d3982-96d3-4b9d-b965-9c6b2c3eeaa1
Kley, Nadine
3d43dfca-8c31-40c5-b3ff-bb6a7b5e996d
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Horne, Rob
ffa118fc-be61-40bf-84c4-d2596e55081d
Rief, Winfried
d20cb3f8-e7f5-4d18-85b2-809760b8fef0
Petrie, Keith J.
13a60af9-094f-4ad3-898e-18ccd2c75b2c
Broadbent, Elizabeth A.
bb6d3982-96d3-4b9d-b965-9c6b2c3eeaa1
Kley, Nadine
3d43dfca-8c31-40c5-b3ff-bb6a7b5e996d
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Horne, Rob
ffa118fc-be61-40bf-84c4-d2596e55081d
Rief, Winfried
d20cb3f8-e7f5-4d18-85b2-809760b8fef0

Petrie, Keith J., Broadbent, Elizabeth A., Kley, Nadine, Moss-Morris, Rona, Horne, Rob and Rief, Winfried (2005) Worries about modernity predict symptom complaints after environmental pesticide spraying. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67 (5), 778-782. (doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000181277.48575.a4).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: Concerns about environmental and technological changes affecting health have been shown to be associated with symptom reports in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to investigate how worries about modernity affecting health, negative affectivity, and prior symptom complaints influence health complaints after environmental spraying in a prospective study.
Methods: Two hundred ninety-two residents of West Auckland completed questionnaires measuring recent symptoms, negative affect, and concerns about the effects of modernity on health before aerial spraying of their neighborhood with Foray 48B. After spraying, 181 residents (62%) returned a follow-up questionnaire measuring symptoms, spray-avoidance behavior, and the perceived effect of the spray program on health.
Results: The number of symptoms reported after the spray was most closely related to the number of symptoms reported at baseline (ß = 0.40, p = .0001). Higher levels of modern health worries (ß = 0.23, p = .001) and baseline symptoms (ß = 0.17, p < .05) were associated with a higher number of symptoms being attributed to the spray program. Modern health worries also predicted avoidance behavior during the spraying times (ß = 0.32, p = .001) and the belief that the health of participants and the health of their children and pets was affected by the spray (all p < .01).
Conclusion: Worries about aspects of modern life affecting health can strongly influence the attribution of symptoms and beliefs about health effects after environmental incidents.

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More information

Published date: 8 May 2005
Keywords: symptom reports, modern health worries, environmental concerns, anxiety, environmental incidents

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 40263
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/40263
ISSN: 0033-3174
PURE UUID: b295a0fa-e7df-4d48-8d10-b34b840ad952

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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 08:18

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Contributors

Author: Keith J. Petrie
Author: Elizabeth A. Broadbent
Author: Nadine Kley
Author: Rona Moss-Morris
Author: Rob Horne
Author: Winfried Rief

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