Occupational exposure to pesticides and safety behavior among Iranian greenhouse farmers

Farmers’ behavior in pesticide use is crucial for promoting safety in agriculture, yet little information exists in the literature with regard to greenhouse farmers. This work studied greenhouse farmers’ health symptoms from exposure to pesticides, behavior in using personal protective equipment (PPE), and explained behavior based on risk attitudes, knowledge of hazards of pesticide use, and experience in pesticide handling in Khuzestan province, Iran. Dizziness while preparing the solution and spraying was the most common symptom from pesticide exposure. PPE was used occasionally, most commonly the simple facemask. Most farmers had negative attitudes towards risks of pesticide use, but showed poor knowledge of pesticide risks and high experience of pesticide poisoning when working in the greenhouse. Based on structural equation modelling, the variables of attitude towards pesticide risks, knowledge of pesticides hazards, and experience of pesticide poisoning accounted for 84% of variability of greenhouse farmers’ behavior in PPE use during pesticide use. Knowledge of pesticide risks shaped farmers’ attitudes towards pesticide risk and attitudes towards pesticide risk had the maximum impact on safety behavior in PPE use. Training courses on the health risks posed by pesticide to human are necessary to improve safety behavior of greenhouse farmers.