title: Why don't pesticide applicators protect themselves? Exploring the use of personal protective equipment among Colombian smallholders.
abstract: The misuse of personal protective equipment (PPE) during pesticide application was investigated among smallholders in Colombia. The integrative agent-centered (IAC) framework and a logistic regression approach were adopted. The results suggest that the descriptive social norm was significantly influencing PPE use. The following were also important: (1) having experienced pesticide-related health problems; (2) age; (3) the share of pesticide application carried out; and (4) the perception of PPE hindering work. Interestingly, the influence of these factors differed for different pieces of PPE. Since conformity to the social norm is a source of rigidity in the system, behavioral change may take the form of a discontinuous transition. In conclusion, five suggestions for triggering a transition towards more sustainable PPE use are formulated: (1) diversifying targets/tools; (2) addressing structural aspects; (3) sustaining interventions in the long-term; (4) targeting farmers' learning-by-experience; and (5) targeting PPE use on a collective level.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Social and Industrial Ecology, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland. giuseppe.feola@geo.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feola
authors.forename: Claudia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Binder
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D001519:Behavior; D003105:Colombia; D003469:Culture; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010575:Pesticides; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012931:Social Environment
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides