title: The impacts of pesticides on the health of farmers in Fasa, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the growing global population, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the demands for food and energy. A major portion of the food and energy is produced via agriculture and livestock activities. The objectives of this research are to gather information regarding the demographic features of farmers, previous poisoning, and the extent of farmers' knowledge in the use of pesticides and associated hazards in different counties and villages in Fasa, a city located in the Fars province of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out from March to July 2012 in the Nobandegan and Sheshdeh counties, and villages including Miandeh, Fedshkuyeh, Senan, Rahimabad, and other places in the Fasa suburban countryside. To collect data, an appropriate questionnaire was designed and implemented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 200 farmers participated in the study. We found that 55% of farmers were illiterate. Approximately 86% of used pesticides were organophosphorus compounds. Around 30% of the farmers used no protective equipment while working with pesticides, and only 22% of farmers had read and understood the instructions on the pesticide containers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the toxicity and hazards of pesticides and their adverse effects on farmers' health, effective measures should be adopted to decrease the amount of pesticides used. Conducting training programs for farmers may help to reduce pesticide exposure risks.
authors.affiliation: Ph.D. Candidate of Occupational Health Engineering, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sajad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zare
authors.affiliation: B.Sc. of Occupational Health Engineering, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behzadi
authors.affiliation: M.Sc. of Environmental Health Engineering, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Yazd University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarzanan
authors.affiliation: M.Sc. of Environmental Health Engineering, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
authors.forename: Masome Beik
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mohamadi
authors.affiliation: Ph.D. Candidate of Occupational Health Engineering, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Omidi
authors.affiliation: Ph.D. Candidate of Public Health, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Akbar Babaei
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Heydarabadi
authors.affiliation: M.Sc. of Geography, Department of Geography, Faculty of Human Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazemi
keywords: Adverse effects; Agricultural; Pesticides; Poisoning