Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Farm Workers Applying Pesticides at Cultivated Area in Jericho District

Amira Shaheen, Public Health Division, An Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.

E-mail: shaheenamira@yahoo

Yehia Abed, School of Public Health, Al-Quds University, Gaza Strip

 

Background:

Pesticides cause a major environmental problem.  The excessive uses of pesticides leave chronic and acute toxic impacts on human health.  Some studies indicated the presence of association between the excessive use of pesticides and climate change.  The current study is intended to assess knowledge, attitude, practice, and toxicity symptoms among farm workers excessively applying pesticides in cultivated area in Jericho District. 

 

Methods:

Cross-sectional study was used.  A convenient sample of 220 farm workers applying pesticides at cultivated area in Jericho was interviewed. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a questionnaire that was designed on the basis of the Environmental Protection Agency Questions (1993).  Data was entered and managed using SPSS version 13.  Chi-square and t-tests were used to identify the significant of associations, which were considered significant if P-value is less than 0.05. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from Al-Quds University ethical board. 

 

Findings:

The response rate was 93%.  Due to harsh conditions in this area, the majority of the interviewed farm workers (99%) were men.  Knowledge among the farm workers with regards to using pesticides was relatively high, except for knowing biological control and other agricultural ways for controlling (26.4%) and (12%) respectively.  As with regards to attitude, almost 60.6% of farm workers had a positive attitude towards to the using of pesticides.  At the same time, About (43.0%) of farm workers believed that their bodies develop resistant’s against the pesticides side effect.  The most common used pesticides are Marshal (Carbosulfan) and Bayfidan (Triadimenol), (49% and 48%) respectively.

 

The practice of the interviewed farm workers regarding the usage of pesticides was low.  A significant percentages of farmers (91%) and (95%) reported that they know of the importance of wearing wide brimmed hat as well as putting oral nasal mask, yet they did not do so, P-Value=0.007 and 0.049 respectively.  About, 41% of farmers reported that they are re-entering the field in the same day of spraying.  These unsafe practices lead to the increasing in toxicity symptoms related to pesticides that were reported by the interviewed farm workers.  

 

The most common pesticide-associated toxicity symptoms that farm workers reported to have were burning sensation in eyes and face (75%), headache (62%), cold/breathlessness/chest pain (51%), and itching skin irritation and dizziness (46%).  It is clear that most of these symptoms are related to the use of organophosphorus pesticides.

 

 Interpretation:

Training programs that cover safety aspects accompanied with follow-up of the farmers and these that stress the importance of optimizing pesticides use through integrated best management (IBM) should be held.  In order to take the suitable intervention policies, further studies at the biological effects of pesticides use on farm workers’ health should be held.  Furthermore, farm works with acute symptoms should be followed-up so as not to be developed into chronic symptoms.

 

 

 

عنوان المؤتمر

LPHA Seventh Conference

دولة المؤتمر

الأردن

تاريخ المؤتمر

7 مارس، 2016 - 8 مارس، 2016

راعي المؤتمر

LPHA