Faculty of Public Health, Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon, Thailand.
College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
J Prev Med Public Health. 2024 Jan;57(1):73-82. doi: 10.3961/jpmph.23.353. Epub 2023 Dec 20.
The unsafe use of pesticides in agriculture represents a major hazard to human health. This study was conducted to investigate the association between pesticide exposure and health symptoms among chili farmers in northeast Thailand.
This cross-sectional analytic study included 141 chili farmers in Sakon Nakhon Province, in northeast Thailand. Data regarding health symptoms were gathered using a self-report questionnaire. A medical technician tested blood cholinesterase activity using an erythrocyte method, and an occupational medicine specialist at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand reviewed the results. Associations between personal characteristics, pesticide exposure factors, and health symptoms were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.
Of the 141 chili farmers studied, 66.7% experienced pesticide poisoning, as indicated by below-normal cholinesterase levels. Fatigue was the most frequently reported symptom associated with pesticide exposure, affecting 37.6% of participants. This was followed by nausea and vomiting (31.9%), dizziness (14.9%), and dry throat (14.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors were significantly associated with adverse symptoms: amount of work experience, volume of pesticides used, use of chemical pesticides, use of leaking containers during spraying, direct pesticide exposure while working, contact with pesticide-soaked clothing, consumption of food and drinks in the fields, and blood cholinesterase level indicating risk.
This study suggests potential health risks for chili farmers stemming from exposure to and contamination by pesticides used in agricultural practices. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to supply personal protective equipment and to implement educational programs aimed at improving protective behaviors among farmers.
农业中不安全使用农药对人类健康构成重大危害。本研究旨在调查泰国东北部辣椒种植者暴露于农药与健康症状之间的关系。
本横断面分析性研究纳入了泰国东北部色军府的 141 名辣椒种植者。使用自我报告问卷收集健康症状数据。一名医疗技术人员使用红细胞法检测血液胆碱酯酶活性，泰国曼谷玛希隆大学 Ramathibodi 医院的一名职业医学专家对结果进行了审查。使用多变量逻辑回归分析个人特征、农药暴露因素与健康症状之间的关联。
在所研究的 141 名辣椒种植者中，66.7%的人出现了胆碱酯酶水平低于正常的农药中毒症状。与农药暴露相关的最常见症状是疲劳，影响了 37.6%的参与者。其次是恶心和呕吐（31.9%）、头晕（14.9%）和咽干（14.9%）。多变量逻辑回归分析显示，以下几个因素与不良症状显著相关：工作经验年限、使用的农药量、使用化学农药、喷雾时使用泄漏容器、工作时直接接触农药、接触农药浸湿的衣物、在田间食用食物和饮料，以及血液胆碱酯酶水平提示存在风险。
本研究表明，农业实践中使用的农药暴露和污染可能会对辣椒种植者的健康造成潜在风险。为了降低这些风险，必须提供个人防护设备，并实施旨在改善农民防护行为的教育计划。
