Socioeconomic and Environmental Determinants of Parkinson’s Disease

PD is a major progressive neurological disorder. While research has underscored the role of genetic factors correlated with PD, very few cases display clear genetic foundations. As a result, it is crucial to understand the other key determinants involved in the pathogenesis of PD in order to more holistically understand its heterogeneous etiology. This literature review aims to explore the role that socioeconomic and environmental factors play in the development of PD through a literature review and qualitative thematic synthesis. The results of this review indicate that both socioeconomic and environmental factors were linked with PD. However, the strength of these associations diverged across studies and amongst factors. The most commonly identified socioeconomic contributors included occupational and lifestyle factors, education, and income and the most commonly identified environmental factors were pesticides and agricultural exposures and heavy metals. Other environmental factors, such as air pollution, solvents and industrial chemicals, and well-water exposure were also examined with emerging but tenuous evidence. Additionally, across both socioeconomic and environmental studies, consistent gender differences and occupational patterns are seen, suggesting connections between socioeconomic and environmental determinants. Overall, this review underscores the need for future research on how these factors influence PD and introduces possible clinical interventions that may address PD pathogenesis from these factors.