Hemoglobin Levels Among Male Agricultural Workers: Analyses From the Demographic and Health Surveys to Investigate a Marker for Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology

Abstract

Objective: Estimate agricultural work's effect on hemoglobin (Hgb) level in men. A negative effect may indicate presence of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology.

Methods: We use Demographic and Health Surveys data from seven African and Asian countries and use matching to control for seven confounders.

Results: On average, Hgb levels were 0.09 g/dL lower among agricultural workers compared with matched controls. Significant effects were observed in Ethiopia, India, Lesotho, and Senegal, with effects from 0.07 to 0.30 g/dL lower Hgb level among agricultural workers. The findings were robust to multiple control groups and a modest amount of unmeasured confounding.

Conclusions: Men engaged in agricultural work in four of the seven countries studied have modestly lower Hgb levels. Our data support integrating kidney function assessments within Demographic and Health Surveys and other population-based surveys.