Agricultural practices and personal hygiene among agricultural workers in a rural area of Howrah district, West Bengal.
The study attempted to assess agricultural practices and personal hygiene among 100 agricultural workers in a rural area of West Bengal in 1999. 69% of the study population was marginal farmer with less than 2 acres of land. Organophosphorus group of pesticides were most commonly used pesticides (68%); spraying was irregular in nature (98%), through semiautomatic sprayer (99%) and only 5% used any special dress while spraying pesticides. 40% of workers used to store pesticides either in living room or in food storage area. 88% of them did not take any food during work with pesticides, only 37% used to take regular bath after working with pesticides but regular hand washing was practiced by all of them.
R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. dilip_shampa@hotmail.com
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DK
Das
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Dey
D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000592:standards*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000592:standards*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides