The association between demographic factors and health beliefs toward pesticide buying behavior among famers

Abstract

The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to investigate relationships between demographic factors, health beliefs, and pesticide buying behavior of farmers. Study subjects included of 284 farmers in Phawo Sub-District, Mae Sot District, Tak Province. All the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and chi-squared test. Results from the study questionnaire revealed that knowledge of health risks among the farmers was at a high level (82.60%) or moderate level (17.40%). The farmers were knowl¬edgeable about risks, severity, benefits of applying pesticides to a high level (96.80%, 57.10%, and 88.70%, respectively). Additionally, the farmers were knowledgeable of barriers, cues to action, and health motivation to a moderate level (84.80%, 58.50% and 79.80%, respectively). With regard to pesticide buying behavior, farmers were quantified behavioral scores at a moderate level (92.20%) or at the high level (7.80%). In addition, pesticide buying behaviors were significantly associated with demographic data i.e. gender (p=0.037), cost of the agricultural production/rai (p=0.048), and history of blood cholinesterase testing (p=0.005). It was found that health-related motivation of pesticide buying behavior was significantly associated with pesticide buying behavior of the farmers (p=0.003). The obtained results could be used as a public health database for improving pesticide buying behavior of the farmers; the data take into account health motivation, gender, cost of the agricultural production, and history for testing level of blood cholinesterase.