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ABSTRACT
Pesticide poisoning is a major public health concern in developing countries. The authors conducted a population survey among farmers in 3 parishes of northwestern Jamaica to determine the occurrence of acute pesticide poisoning and to identify factors associated with pesticide poisoning. Approximately 16% of 359 farmers who participated in the study reported 1 or more incidents of acute pesticide poisoning within the last 2 years. Only 25% of the farmers reported ever receiving training in pesticide handling or safety. The majority (68%) of farmers who reported pesticide poisoning never sought medical attention for poisoning. The factors found to be associated with pesticide poisoning in this study indicate that implementation of specific intervention strategies and education of farmers is needed in order to improve safe handling, use, and disposal of pesticides and reduce incidents of acute pesticide poisoning.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) grant T37-MD001448 from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, USA, and the Ministry of Health, Jamaica. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors thank officials at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Jamaica, and their research assistant for their help. The authors are grateful to the farmers who participated in the study.
