Agricultural Occupational Health Knowledge and Practice of Farmers in 2007 in Qom Province

Abstract

Background and objectives: Occupational health is a very important issue in all sectors, and particularly, agriculture. Agriculture is a potentially hazardous industry associated with many occupational injuries and illnesses. Knowledge and practice of farmers and their educational needs is essential for preparation of a suitable educational package. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge and practice of farmers in regards to the occupational health in Qom agriculture industry. Methods: Two hundred Qom farmers were randomly entered into this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was designed for data collection and the farmers were interviewed. SPSS (11.5) was used for data analysis. Results: We found that farmers have a low level of knowledge (10%) in regard to occupational respiratory, gastrointestinal and renal disorders. The lowest level of knowledge was related to the preventive measures including not blowing the nozzle of the pesticide sprayer (18%), noise reduction measures (18.5%), and application of sunscreen (20%). The most undesirable practices observed were wearing of filter mask (8%) and observance of safety measures for tractor’s driver cabin. Conclusion: Present findings suggest that farmers have inadequate knowledge in regard to occupational disorders. Therefore, effective interventions to increase their level of knowledge and safety of their occupational behavior are recommended.

Keywords

• health knowledge
• attitude
• practice
• alveolitis
• extrinsic allergic
• occupational health