Changes in Understanding Environmental Health Risks Linked Participatory Education and Action Research Among Senegalese Farmers

Abstract

ISEE-232 Objective: To determine the extent to which a ecosystem health framed Participatory Education and Action Research (PEAR) addressing pesticide and wastewater use in urban agriculture could achieve change in understanding and behavior related to health and environment risks. Material and Methods: At the core of the process was a partnership between the researcher and 3 farmers in a periurban area of Dakar, Senegal. The researcher played a facilitating role with farmers, university researchers, extension agencies, ministries, and NGOs, engaging in dialog and stimulating action. Observations took place during transect walks, interactive workshops, door-to-door outreach, and informal exchange. Trained farmers conducted interviews with other farmers (n = 55) using pre- and postintervention questionnaires with multiple response questions. Results: Ninety percent of farmers suggested discussion and informal encounters with their fellow farmers as the best way of sharing environment and health messages. In preintervention questionnaires, farmers identified domestic waste (58%), rotting dead animals (24%), mosquitoes (24%), and random defecation (24%) as main environmental problems. In contrast, postintervention 63% of farmers mentioned impacts to surface and ground water and pesticide runoff. Twenty percent identified air pollution, 18% identified salinization and erosion of soil as environmental impacts, and 16% identified contamination of vegetables. Farmers demonstrated a clearer understanding of impacts in environmental compartments such as water, air, soil, and food. Preintervention farmers identified fatigue (49%), malaria (29%), pesticide poisoning (18%), stomach ache (10.9%), and headache (9.0%) as the main health risks linked to urban agriculture. Postintervention fatigue (45.5%) and pesticide poisoning (20.0%) remained important. More farmers perceived malaria (50.9%), respiratory illness (16.4%), parasitic infection (16.4%), and dermatitis (12.7%) as illnesses linked to UA. Observations indicated reduced pesticide container litter in the fields. Conclusions: Results suggest that a PEAR process can have a substantial impact on environmental and health risk perceptions and practices among urban farmers.