Protective behavior in chemical spraying among farmers of northern Iran

Understanding farmers' protective behavior in the use of pesticides as well as inter-related factors affecting behavior is essential for improving safety in farming. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the levels of personal protection of farmers during pesticide handling, along with knowledge and perception of risks by pesticides, frequency of poisoning experience, use of information, and their effects on safety behavior in rural Iran. Forty-six percent (46.0%) of the farmers reported totally unsafe behavior in pesticide handling, with poor use of protective gear, and 20.0% reported potentially unsafe behavior, with only occasional use of protective gear. Training in pesticide use and integrated pest management (IPM) education promoted the use of protective gear. Almost half of the farmers (49.4%) reported some kind of pesticide poisoning experience, with dizziness being the most common symptom. On a five point scale (1-5), farmers had low knowledge of pesticide risk (mean = 2.75) and moderate perception of pesticide risk (mean = 3.26). Similarly, the use of information was low (mean = 2.10), with pesticide retailers being the most popular source of farmers' information. Structural equation modeling showed that risk knowledge was positively associated with risk perception. These two variables along with poisoning experience and use of information described 85% of the variability in farmers' use of protective gear, highlighting the inter-connection of those variables and their crucial role in the protective behavior of farmers during chemical spraying. In conclusion, improving farmers' knowledge of pesticide risk through better information is crucial for promoting farmers' protective behavior in pesticide use.