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Pesticide safety behaviors in Latino farmworker family households
Author(s) -
Rao Pamela,
Gentry Amanda L.,
Quandt Sara A.,
Davis Stephen W.,
Snively Beverly M.,
Arcury Thomas A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20277
Subject(s) - laundry , environmental health , medicine , clothing , pesticide , affect (linguistics) , occupational safety and health , geography , psychology , archaeology , pathology , agronomy , biology , communication
Background Studies to assess pesticide exposure of individuals living in agricultural settings suggest that farmworkers create a “take‐home” pathway from the fields to the home that increases exposure risk for non‐farmworker household members. Methods A survey was conducted with 142 Latino women in farmworker family households in North Carolina to identify predictors of adherence to pesticide safety behaviors that may affect take‐home exposure risk. Behaviors included changing work clothes before entering the house, storing and washing contaminated work clothes separately from family clothing, and showering upon returning home. Results The number of farmworkers in the household was negatively associated with adherence to recommended changing, storing, and showering behaviors. Most workers followed recommended laundry procedures for work clothes. Conclusions Results support existing evidence for a take‐home pathway for pesticide residues in homes with several farmworkers. Pesticide safety education needs to reinforce behaviors that reduce take‐home exposure in farmworker households. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:271–280, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.