Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Research Department 2, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), 14412 Potsdam, Germany.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 30;18(19):10335. doi: 10.3390/ijerph181910335.
Aside from specific environmental conditions, poor agricultural practices contribute to mold and thus the mycotoxin contamination of crops. This study investigated Bangladeshi farming households' (i) awareness of and experience with mold contamination of food crops; (ii) knowledge and awareness of the timing, causes, and consequences of mold and mycotoxin contamination; and (iii) knowledge of the recommended agricultural practices for controlling and preventing mold contamination of food crops. A survey was conducted with 1280 households in rural areas of Habiganj district, Bangladesh. Basic descriptive statistics were calculated, and mixed-effects linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between household characteristics and overall knowledge scores. The awareness of mold contamination of food crops was very high (99%; 95% CI: 98-100%) and a shared experience among households (85%; 95% CI: 80-88%). Yet, the majority (80%; 95% CI: 76-84%) demonstrated a low level of knowledge of the timing, causes, and preventive practices regarding mold contamination of crops. Knowledge scores were similar over demographic groups and better for households with more arable land. The findings suggest a generally insufficient knowledge of the conditions that favor mold contamination and the measures for preventing mold contamination of food crops. These findings underline the need for tailored interventions to promote good agricultural practices and reduce mold contamination of food crops.
除了特定的环境条件外，不良的农业 practices 也会导致 mold 的产生，从而使 crops 受到 mycotoxin 的污染。本研究调查了孟加拉国 farming households 的以下情况：（i）对 food crops 受到 mold 污染的 awareness 和 experience；（ii）对 mold 和 mycotoxin 污染的 timing、causes 和 consequences 的了解和 awareness；以及（iii）控制和预防 food crops 受到 mold 污染的 recommended agricultural practices 的了解。在孟加拉国 Habiganj 区的农村地区，对 1280 户家庭进行了 survey。计算了基本描述性统计数据，并进行了混合效应线性回归分析，以检查 household 特征与总体 knowledge 得分之间的关联。对 food crops 受到 mold 污染的 awareness 非常高（99%；95% CI：98-100%），并且是 households 之间的共同 experience（85%；95% CI：80-88%）。然而，大多数家庭（80%；95% CI：76-84%）对 crops 受到 mold 污染的 timing、causes 和预防 practices 的了解程度较低。知识得分在 demographic 群体之间相似，并且对于拥有更多耕地的家庭更好。这些发现表明，人们对有利于 mold 污染的条件以及预防 food crops 受到 mold 污染的措施的了解普遍不足。这些发现强调了需要采取有针对性的干预措施，以促进良好的农业 practices 和减少 food crops 受到 mold 污染的风险。
