We briefly discussed this study in my public health class last week,
during a related discussion on the Hopkins study looking at lead clean-
up.  Looking at it from multiple standpoints (as a public health/health
evaluation sciences student, as a doctor, as an IRB member, as a
researcher, and as a mother), I think most of the criticisms are
overstated.  The payment may be mildly coercive, but for the amount of
time and energy required to participate, you could certainly argue that
the compensation is appropriate.  I would guess that one of the reasons
that lower-income families are "targeted" is that they have previously
demonstrated that they are more likely to use pesticides already, and are
at higher risk from pesticide side effects.  This would be equivalent to a
study on low birth weight or lack of prenatal care among lower-income
families -- you go where the greatest concentration of the event is.

I am concerned with the fact that it is too short of a study to truly
evaluate outcomes from pesticide exposure.  Though, reading the study
design information, it seems that it is not designed to look at outcomes,
but simply at exposure.  They even state that this is a preliminary
study.  They are asking for families who both use and don't use
pesticides.  Oh, and they demonstrated that 20% of respondents used
pesticides within the last week -- this is definitely the ideal population
to study.

I actually think this will be a beneficial study, as it will potentially
demonstrate that children have significantly higher exposures to "commonly
used" pesticides, and are therefore at higher risk.  I have a lot more
thoughts about this (!), but don't want to take up Lactnet bandwidth.
Anyone who is interested can email me, though.

Shannon McElearney, MD
Research Fellow
in her fourth year in the Department of Surgery
in her second year on the Human Investigatory Committeee, in the Health
Evaluation Sciences master's program, and as a nursing mama

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