title: Reducing farmworker residential pesticide exposure: evaluation of a lay health advisor intervention.
abstract: The goal of this analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of a promotora program for teaching women in Latino farmworker families about pesticide safety and increasing pesticide safety behaviors. Volunteer promotoras delivered a pesticide safety curriculum (intervention) and nutrition curriculum (control) to farmworker women residing in western North Carolina and Virginia. Pre-and postintervention interviews assessed differences in delivery of the intervention, recognition of the intervention, pesticide knowledge, pesticide exposures behaviors, and integrated pest management behaviors. Participants in the intervention group reported significantly more receipt of pesticide education and greater recognition of the key messages. However, their knowledge, pesticide exposure behaviors, and integrated pest management behaviors did not change. A more structured program is needed to be sure that the dose of interventions is large enough to overcome educational and cultural characteristics of immigrant communities. Policy changes are needed to address circumstances outside of farmworkers' control that affect pesticide exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1084, USA. tarcury@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: Beverly M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Snively
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández-Pelletier
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D010575:Pesticides; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012424:Rural Population; D012449:Safety; D014768:Virginia; D014838:Volunteers; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides