Pesticides in Lebanon: a knowledge, attitude, and practice study

Environ Res. 2004 Jan;94(1):1-6. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(03)00092-6.

Abstract

Pesticides, despite their known toxicity, are widely used in developing countries. Evaluating the pattern of their use would be interesting to assess the appropriateness of adequate intervention. Using a standardized questionnaire, a knowledge, attitude, and practice study was performed in two Lebanese regions, in which a group of agricultural workers was compared to workers of the general population and a third group of pesticide distributors. Agricultural workers were exposed to pesticides during cropping, mixing, loading, and application (100%). They had low pesticide knowledge scales compared to pesticide distributors and to the general population workers (P<10(-7)). The preventive measures they took were low, and the lower their knowledge was, the lower were the preventive measures applied (P<10(-3)). Pesticide safety education is necessary in order to induce protective behavior among agricultural workers. The general population may also benefit from increasing their awareness regarding pesticides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Agricultural Workers' Diseases / chemically induced
  • Agricultural Workers' Diseases / epidemiology
  • Agriculture*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Lebanon / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Occupational Exposure / adverse effects*
  • Pesticides / adverse effects*
  • Protective Devices / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

  • Pesticides