A Cross-sectional Study On The Pesticide Exposure And Self-protection Measures Of Agricultural Workers In One County In Yunnan Province

Objectives:Along with the development of agricultural modernization and large scale production in China, the numbers of agricultural plantations has increased in rural China and increasing number of farmers have transformed from individual farmers into agricultural workers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the source and situation of agricultural workers, to study the pesticide exposure, pesticide-related health knowledge and occupational health protection of agricultural workers, to analyze the occupational health situation of planting agricultural worker and to identify problems, so as to provide scentifi evidence for the establishment and development of agricultural workers’occupational health administration in China.Methods:Selecting one county in Yunnan as the study site, we employed questionnaire, interview and field observation to collect data in 15 plantations in the county during July 2013 to January 2014. The survey concentrated on the origins and current situation of agricultural workers, their exposure to pesticides and self-protecion measures. In total,295 agritural workers were surveyed by using an questionnaire and several managers of plantations and workers were interviewed.Results:Among the 295 surveyed agricultural workers, there are more women than men (59.66%/40.34%); 76.27% of the workers were aged 35-60 years; 56.27% of them had the education level at primary school or below; and 37.63% of them are ethnic minorities. Among the 295 workers,59.6%(176 out of 295) were responsible for using pesticides in the plantations.The survey found that the frequency and duration of using pesticide by agricultural workers were greater than individual farmers who work at home. Agricultural workers had few chances to attend professionally related trainings and the current trainings had no content on the occupational health and pesticide using. The reporting rates of symptoms associated with pesticide using by agricultural workers were higher than the ones reported by individual farmers and female agricultural workers had higher reporting rates than their male peers. The major self-protection measures taken by agricultural workers were wearing a mask, gloves and hat. Among the 112 respondents who work not only on the plantation but also at themselves’ farm, the rate of taking protective measures like wearing rubber gloves on plantation is significantly higher than when working at their own farms. The rate of using protection measure by female workers was lower than the one of male workers.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed by using stepwise regression mode to identify factors that affect the using of self-protection and it was found that "accompanied by family members when working on plantations " and "the frequency of use of pesticides" are positively associated with using self-protection. The analysis also reveals that knowing the health impact of pesticides does not necessarily associated with self-protection. There is separation between knowledge and behavior. Conclusion:The majority of current agricultural workers are middle aged people who had only primary school or below education and the number of female workers greater than the one of men. Those worker had few chance to receive professional training and their pesticide related health knowledge is very limited. The extent and frequency of exposing to pesticide by agricultural workers are much greater than the ones of individual farmers despite that more agricultural workers than farmers took self-protection measures. Therefore, the government should pay attention to the occupational health of agricultural workers by developing occupational health administration of agricultural workers and the regulation and supervision of agricultural plantations.