Abstract
BackgroundPesticide poisoning is an important health problem among Chinese farm workers, but there is a paucity of pesticide poisoning data from China. Using the WHO standard case definition of a possible acute pesticide poisoning, we investigated the prevalence and risk factors of acute work-related pesticide poisoning among farmers in Southern China.MethodsA stratified sample of 910 pesticide applicators from two villages in southern China participated in face-to-face interviews. Respondents who self-reported having two or more of a list of sixty-six symptoms within 24 hours after pesticide application were categorized as having suffered acute pesticide poisoning. The association between the composite behavioral risk score and pesticide poisoning were assessed in a multivariate logistic model.ResultsA total of 80 (8.8%) pesticide applicators reported an acute work-related pesticide poisoning. The most frequent symptoms among applicators were dermal (11.6%) and nervous system (10.7%) symptoms. Poisoning was more common among women, farmers in poor areas, and applicators without safety training (all p < 0.001). After controlling for gender, age, education, geographic area and the behavioral risk score, farmers without safety training had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.22 (95% CI: 1.86-5.60). The likelihood of acute pesticide poisoning was also significantly associated with number of exposure risk behaviors. A significant "dose-response" relationship between composite behavioral risk scores calculated from 9 pesticides exposure risk behaviors and the log odds of pesticide poisoning prevalence was seen among these Chinese farmers (R2 = 0.9246).ConclusionsThis study found that 8.8% of Chinese pesticide applicators suffered acute pesticide poisoning and suggests that pesticide safety training, safe application methods, and precautionary behavioral measures could be effective in reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning.
Highlights
Pesticide poisoning is an important health problem among Chinese farm workers, but there is a paucity of pesticide poisoning data from China
Our study indicates that 8.8% of Chinese farmers in the study areas who applied pesticides in the past year suffered work-related acute pesticide poisoning
Our study suggests that acute pesticide poisoning is significantly associated with factors such as geographic area, and whether the farmers received pesticide safety training
Summary
Pesticide poisoning is an important health problem among Chinese farm workers, but there is a paucity of pesticide poisoning data from China. Using the WHO standard case definition of a possible acute pesticide poisoning, we investigated the prevalence and risk factors of acute work-related pesticide poisoning among farmers in Southern China. The WHO recently created a standard case definition matrix to facilitate the identification, management, and control of acute pesticide poisoning around the world [5]. Unlike workers in pesticide manufacturing companies who may receive safety training to reduce exposure, the majority of farmers in China work independently with small plots of farmland. They may apply pesticides using simple backpack style applicators without adequate knowledge of the necessary precautionary measures
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