Sookhtanlou Mojtaba, Allahyari Mohammad Sadegh, Surujlal Jhalukpreya
Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources. University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
Department of Agricultural Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Saf Health Work. 2022 Mar;13(1):23-31. doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2021.09.004. Epub 2021 Oct 11.
Potato is the main crop of Ardabil Plain (accounting for one-fifth of potato production in Iran). Its health hazard risk to farmers is rising due to the increasing rate of pesticide use. The present study analyzes potato farmers' health hazard risk in the use of chemical pesticides.
The rate of pesticide use by farmers (n = 370) was first compared with the recommended dosage (on pesticide label). Then, a composite index was employed to estimate the health hazard risk of farmers during pesticide use, and the variables accounting for pesticide overuse and nonoveruse were analyzed. Safety behavior was examined in four steps, namely of pesticide purchase and storage, preparation, application, and postapplication.
It was found that 74.6 percent of potato farmers used pesticides in higher concentrations than the recommended dosage. The higher average rate of pesticide use versus recommendation (label instruction) was related to Chlorpyrifos and Trifluralin, and the highest average health hazard risk among farmers was related to the use of Chlorpyrifos and Metribuzin. Farmers with a higher risk of health hazard displayed much lower safety behavior than the other farmers at all steps of pesticide use.
The most important variables discriminating the health hazard risk of farmers' overuse included health behavior identity, attitude, knowledge and awareness, and cues to action. Therefore, using social media, holding local exhibitions, and engaging local leaders and skilled farmers in the region to improve farmers' attitudes and health behavior identity toward the dangers of chemical pesticides can play a significant role in motivating farmers' display of overuse preventive behaviors.
土豆是阿尔达比勒平原的主要作物（占伊朗土豆产量的五分之一）。由于农药使用量的增加，其对农民的健康危害风险正在上升。本研究分析了土豆种植农户在使用化学农药时面临的健康危害风险。
首先将农户（n = 370）的农药使用量与推荐剂量（农药标签上）进行比较。然后，采用综合指数来估计农户在使用农药期间的健康危害风险，并分析导致农药过度使用和未过度使用的变量。从农药购买与储存、配制、施用和施药后四个步骤检查安全行为。
发现74.6%的土豆种植农户使用农药的浓度高于推荐剂量。与推荐量（标签说明）相比，较高的农药平均使用量与毒死蜱和氟乐灵有关，农户中最高的平均健康危害风险与毒死蜱和嗪草酮的使用有关。在农药使用的各个步骤中，健康危害风险较高的农户表现出的安全行为远低于其他农户。
区分农户过度使用导致健康危害风险的最重要变量包括健康行为认同、态度、知识与意识以及行动提示。因此，利用社交媒体、举办当地展览，并让该地区的地方领导人及技术娴熟的农户参与进来，以改善农户对化学农药危害的态度和健康行为认同，这对于促使农户表现出过度使用预防行为可发挥重要作用。
