Pesticides and your children: a randomized controlled evaluation of a pamphlet.

BACKGROUND

Maternal and pediatric residential pesticide exposure has been identified as a risk factor for birth defects, pediatric cancers, and neurological damage, and it may play a role in other disease processes.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether the use of a pamphlet with a brief educational message in a clinic setting would increase the knowledge and/or change the attitudes of pregnant women and mothers about pesticide use and alternatives, as well as promote pesticide safety.

METHODS

A group of 103 women currently pregnant and/or with children less than 6 years of age were recruited at 2 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinics for the study. Participants were given a 16-question true/false oral survey testing their baseline knowledge about pesticide safety and safer alternatives to pesticide use. Participants were then randomly assigned to a control group or to the intervention group, which received the pamphlet and a 2-minute scripted overview of its contents. Approximately 2 to 3 weeks later, all participants received a follow-up telephone call by a researcher blinded to the original group assignment, and the original survey questions were repeated.

RESULTS

Follow-up assessments were completed for 73 (71%) of the participants. The mean improvement in correct responses on the follow-up survey was +0.39 for the control group and +3.1 for the intervention group (P<.001). Item analysis revealed that the intervention produced a significantly higher number of correct answers to 9 of the 16 survey questions. Providing mothers and pregnant women

CONCLUSIONS

Providing mothers and pregnant women with a pamphlet and a brief message about pesticide safety and safer alternatives to pesticides in a clinic setting may be effective in improving knowledge and beliefs about pesticides.