Development and Evaluation of Farmer’s Participation for Reducing Risk Behavior from Pesticide Hazards in Huayjorakea Health Center Area, Dankhuntod District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

            This participatory research and development aimed to determine the process of reducing risk behaviors for pesticide exposure with the farmer participating approach in Huayjorakea Health Center area, Dankhunthot district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The samples were casava-growing farmers consisting 60 individuals each for experimental and control group. This study was categorized into three phases as follow: phase I to determine risk behaviors of pesticide application among the farmers by using a questionaire pertaining to general information, an observation checklist for pesticide application, and a questionaire pertaining to preventive practices of pesticide application among the farmers; phase II to develop a participatory model for reducing risks of pesticide exposure, which was based upon the outcomes of phase I using Appreciation-Influence-Control (AIC) technique; phase III to evaluate the participatory model for reducing risk of pesticide exposure using the test about pesticide application, and a questionaire pertaining to attitude towards hazards of using pesticide in agriculture. The data were collected througout three phrases from the rating scale questionaires, group discussions, and AIC activities. They were then statistically analyzed for frequency, percentage and t-scores.

The results revealed that most of the farmers were males (95.0 %). 35.0% of them were 41-50 years old and 85.0% of them had a primary school degree as the highest level of educaiton. 90% of the farmers were found using pesticide. The AIC for reducing risk behaviors of pesticide application with three courses of action: 1) current situation analysis and prospective aim setting; 2) activity planning and determination; and 3) plan implementing through five main activities. Post-activitiy evaluation was found to reduce the risk behaviors according to comparing the test score between experimental group and its conterpart with statistical significance of 0.001. The average score for the farmers’ attitudes towards proper pesticide application was found to be increased in experimental group, when compared to the control. The preventive practice scores for pesticide application among the experimental group were statsically significantly greater than the control group (p-value = .001).

Thus, it could be said that the participation of farmers could promote healthier life of the farmers and could be applied for farmers in different kinds of agriculture.