Brittany Krzyzanowski, a geographer and spatial epidemiologist at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, along with colleagues from the institute, recently published evidence of a disturbingly strong connection. This new research demonstrates that proximity to golf courses is a likely risk factor for development of PD. The study focused on obtaining data from well-known golf courses, including Pebble Beach Golf Links (California) and Chambers Bay (Washington). It looked at health and residence records for 419 people diagnosed with the disease.
The study uncovered an alarming fact. People who live in close proximity to a golf course—within one mile—have a 126% increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Individuals residing in closest proximity (<3 miles) to these recreational spaces experienced a long-term threat. For those who lived further away, that risk was reduced. This study underscores the harmful long-term effects of pesticides, including neonicotinoids. The study directs blame at practices that have existed for decades.
Study Findings and Implications
Our analysis examined three years of data. This data was obtained prior to the development of PD in participants. Shockingly, the researchers discovered that 90% of the water service recipients connected their groundwater-sourced water service to off-course golf courses. This raises a potential connection between the use of pesticides on the courses and the quality of the water.
Brittany Krzyzanowski explained, “In certain parts of the country, where summers are hot and humid, golf courses use pesticides to maintain the course aesthetics and keep bugs under control.” She pointed out that “some of these pesticides have been linked to negative health outcomes including Parkinson’s disease.” The results indicate that environmental exposures associated with golf courses could be substantial contributing factors to disease progression.
As for the need to be proactive regarding exposure to pesticides, here’s what Krzyzanowski had to say. “So it’s important to be mindful and take steps to mitigate exposure,” she stated. To learn what’s in your local water supply, head over to the Environmental Working Group’s website. Simply type in your ZIP code to see what’s going on behind the scenes.
Future Research Directions
Our research team is thrilled to implement a follow-up study. They will study patterns in 40 years of address data to better understand the association between living near golf courses and developing Parkinson’s disease. Krzyzanowski acknowledged that their initial findings would have been even more robust with improved location data for golf courses.
We contend that our results would be even stronger if more precise golf course location data were available. To that end, we’re in the process of crowdsourcing a nationwide golf course dataset,” she explained. Members of the public can help in this effort by visiting instructions to make specific contributions, found at z.umn.edu/golfmapping.
As the research team prepares to tackle this centerpiece task, they’ll be taking a look through the health records of 22 million Medicare patients. This large and comprehensive dataset will provide a clearer picture. The issue will diagnose, through an equity lens, how environmental changes are directly affecting health outcomes for aging communities.
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