Muenchamnan Nutnichawan, Naksen Warangkana, Ong-Artborirak Parichat
Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Department of Research and Medical Innovation, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2023 Aug 15;16:2339-2350. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S422259. eCollection 2023.
Residential pesticide exposure can be harmful to the health of young children, particularly in agricultural areas. It is critical to educate their caregivers on pesticide exposure prevention. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a two-pronged education intervention for caregivers in preventing pesticide exposure among Thai young children living in agricultural areas.
This was an experimental study with 90 primary caregivers of young children aged 6 months to 5 years. Thirty caregivers each were assigned to one of three groups: booklet plus lecture intervention, only booklet intervention, and control. Caregivers in both interventions received a booklet that educated them on residential pesticide exposure and prevention. The caregivers in the booklet plus lecture group also attended a 2-hour lecture with the same content as the booklet. A questionnaire was developed to assess caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, intention, and behaviors regarding residential pesticide exposure and prevention in children. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at their homes three times: baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up (three weeks after the end of the intervention).
Linear mixed models showed that, from baseline to post-intervention, the intervention effect on knowledge and attitude in both intervention groups, as well as intention in the booklet plus lecture group, was significant (p<0.05). From baseline to follow-up, the knowledge, attitude, intention, and behavior scores in both intervention groups increased significantly more than the control group (p<0.01). Only the attitude score increased more in the booklet plus lecture group than in the booklet group at post-intervention (p=0.009) and follow-up (p=0.003).
Both the booklet plus lecture method and the booklet method alone have a positive effect on improving the caregiver's knowledge and behaviors regarding pesticide exposure prevention at home. Thus, providing a booklet to caregivers to reduce children's risk of pesticide exposure is recommended.
居住环境中的农药暴露可能对幼儿健康有害，尤其是在农业地区。对幼儿的照料者进行农药暴露预防教育至关重要。本研究的目的是确定一种双管齐下的教育干预措施对居住在农业地区的泰国幼儿照料者预防农药暴露的有效性。
这是一项实验性研究，有90名6个月至5岁幼儿的主要照料者参与。30名照料者被分别分配到三个组中的一组：手册加讲座干预组、仅手册干预组和对照组。两个干预组的照料者都收到了一本关于居住环境中农药暴露及预防的手册。手册加讲座组的照料者还参加了一场时长2小时、内容与手册相同的讲座。开发了一份问卷来评估照料者关于儿童居住环境中农药暴露及预防的知识、态度、意图和行为。在他们家中进行了三次面对面访谈：基线期、干预后和随访期（干预结束三周后）。
线性混合模型显示，从基线期到干预后，两个干预组在知识和态度方面的干预效果，以及手册加讲座组在意图方面的干预效果均显著（p<0.05）。从基线期到随访期，两个干预组的知识、态度、意图和行为得分的增加幅度均显著高于对照组（p<0.01）。仅在干预后（p=0.009）和随访期（p=0.003），手册加讲座组的态度得分比手册组增加得更多。
手册加讲座法和仅手册法都对提高照料者在家中预防农药暴露的知识和行为有积极作用。因此，建议向照料者提供手册以降低儿童农药暴露风险。
