Factors Associated with Practice of Chemical Pesticide Use and Acute Poisoning Experienced by Farmers in Chitwan District, Nepal

Simrin Kafle, Abhinav Vaidya, Bandana Pradhan, Erik Jørs and Sharad Onta
Additional contact information
Simrin Kafle: Nepal Public Health Foundation, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Abhinav Vaidya: Nepal Public Health Foundation, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Bandana Pradhan: Institute of Medicine, Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Erik Jørs: Clinic of Occupational Medicine, Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
Sharad Onta: Nepal Public Health Foundation, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: In view of increasing irrational use and unsafe handling of pesticides in agriculture in Nepal, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the practice of chemical pesticide use and acute health symptoms experienced by farmers. A total of 790 farmers from the Chitwan district were randomly selected for the study. X 2 test, T-test, and Multiple Logistic Regression were used for analysis. Among the farmers, 84% used exclusively chemical pesticide. Farmers with better knowledge on pesticide handling were 8.3 times more likely to practice safe purchasing, four times more likely to practice safe mixing and spraying, and two times more likely to practice safe storage and disposal. Similarly, perception/attitude of farmers about chemical pesticide policy and market management was significantly associated with the practice of farmers during purchasing, mixing and spraying, and storage and disposal. Among the users of chemical pesticides, 18.7% farmers experienced one or more pesticide related acute symptoms of health problems during the previous 12 months. Farmers with unsafe practices of pesticide handling were two times more likely to suffer from acute poisoning. It is concluded that knowledge about pesticide handling and favorable perception/attitude on pesticide policy and market management are the predictors of safe use of pesticide.

Keywords: pesticides; safety measures; acute poisoning; Nepal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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