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Peasant association member's knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards safe use of pesticide management
Author(s) -
Karunamoorthi Kaliyaperumal,
Mohammed Ahmad,
Jemal Zeid
Publication year - 2011
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.21008
Subject(s) - peasant , pesticide , environmental health , medicine , agriculture , personal protective equipment , occupational safety and health , toxicology , agricultural science , geography , environmental science , agronomy , disease , archaeology , covid-19 , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , biology
Background Farmers in the developing world are at risk of pesticide exposure, particularly in low‐income countries with a sizable agricultural sector like Ethiopia. The present investigation provides baseline data to develop strategies for the control of pesticide exposure and the prevention of pesticide poisoning. Methods A questionnaire survey of a stratified random sample of peasant farmers belonging to peasant associations was conducted. Results Most surveyed farmers sprayed pesticides without any personal protective equipment. The majority of participants reported using empty pesticide containers for drinking and food storage. Twenty percent of farmers applied pesticides by sweeping with plant leaves in a hazardous manner. Conclusions Ethiopian peasant farmers appeared to have limited knowledge of the hazards of pesticides and generally did not handle pesticides in a safe manner. Active health education campaigns and appropriate training programs should be instigated to promote safe use of pesticides. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:965–970, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.