Assessment of pesticide exposure risks among cocoa farmers in Western region of Ghana

A survey was conducted to investigate farmers' knowledge, attitudes towards pesticide use, storage/disposal, exposure risks and health symptoms in one of the eight cocoa growing regions in Ghana. A considerable proportion of the farmers (32%) used the bush as a storage facility for pesticides, 17% of the farmers stored chemicals in their living rooms, 3% of the farmers stored chemicals in their kitchen, 15% in their food storeroom, and 4% in the animal house. Personal protective equipment (PPE) use was positively associated with advice obtained from agrochemical shops (OR = 1.735, p < 0.01) and extension services (OR = 1.643, p < 0.01) as sources of information for PPE use. Female farmers (OR = 0.481, p < 0.01) were less likely to use PPE. With respect to location, farmers in Suaman district were less likely to use PPE (OR = 0.56, p < 0.010) compared with farmers in Wassa Amenfi. It is recommended that these factors should be considered for policy intervention. Reinforcement of appropriate pesticide storage and PPE education are necessary for securing safety in pesticide use.