title: Pesticide Use and Self-Reported Health Symptoms Among Rice Farmers in Zanzibar.
abstract: The agrarian population in low- and middle-income countries suffers from a number of adverse health effects due to pesticide exposure. In Zanzibar, the government subsidizes pesticides to enhance local rice production. The objectives of this study were to assess Zanzibar smallholder rice farmers' pesticide use and self-reported health symptoms in relation to pesticide exposure, training, and use of protective measures and to raise awareness for future local policy formulation. An exploratory cross-sectional interviewer-administered study was conducted among 99 rice farmers. Participants were selected based on convenience sampling and stratified by expected exposure category. The study participants reported using pesticides in World Health Organization (WHO) Class II. Of pesticide users, 61% reported one or more symptoms of possible acute pesticide poisoning. Only 50% of pesticide users had received training in safe handling and application of pesticides, but those who had displayed a higher use of protective measures. Farmers who did not use protective measures were more likely to have reported skin irritation and headache, which, together with eye irritation, were the most commonly reported acute symptoms. The main sociodemographic differences between the expected exposure categories of pesticide users and nonusers were in gender and education level. Scaling up of training in safe handling and application of pesticides is needed. Further studies are required to better understand the mechanisms behind the choice to use pesticides or not.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health Sciences , Global Health (IHCAR), Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: b Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences , Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stadlinger
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Marine Sciences , University of Dar es Salaam , Zanzibar , Tanzania.
authors.forename: Aviti J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mmochi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health Sciences , Global Health (IHCAR), Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stålsby Lundborg
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health Sciences , Global Health (IHCAR), Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marrone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000067565:Farmers; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012275:Oryza; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011481:Protective Clothing; D057566:Self Report; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides
keywords: Agricultural workers; chemical safety measures; pesticides