An Exploratory Study of Diabetes in a First Nation Community with Respect to Serum Concentrations of p,p’ -DDE and PCBs and Fish Consumption

Aline Philibert, Harold Schwartz and Donna Mergler
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Aline Philibert: CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), C.P. 8888 succ. Centre ville H3C 3P8, Montréal (Québec), Canada
Harold Schwartz: Environmental Health Research Division, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada, Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
Donna Mergler: CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), C.P. 8888 succ. Centre ville H3C 3P8, Montréal (Québec), Canada

IJERPH, 2009, vol. 6, issue 12, 1-11

Abstract: This study examined the association between self-reported diabetes, fish consumption and serum levels of organochlorines in a First Nation community. One quarter of the 101 participants reported diabetes. Serum PCBs, but not p,p’ -DDE, were positively correlated to consumption frequency of total fish, walleye and pike, but not trout. Reported diabetes was positively associated to p,p’ -DDE and some PCB congeners. Odds Ratios (OR) for reported diabetes for those in the upper 75th percentile for serum p,p’ -DDE compared to the others were 3.5 (95% CI 1–13.8) and 6.1 (95% CI 1.4–27.3) (weight wet and lipid-standardized values, respectively) and for total sum of PCBs: 4.91 (95% CI 1.4–19.0) and 5.51 (95% CI 1.3–24.1). For participants who were in the upper 50th percentile for trout and white fish intake, reported diabetes was respectively 6 and 4 times lower compared to the others. These findings support the hypothesis that environmental exposure to elevated p,p’ -DDE and PCBs is associated with increased risk of diabetes. Consumption of trout and white fish may be beneficial to reduce risk.

Keywords: First Nation; diabetes; fish; organochlorines; DDE; PCB (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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