Health Impacts from Sugarcane Growing on Sugarcane Farmers in Nongkungkeao Sub-district, Sriboonrung District, Nongbualamphu Province

Abstract

The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to study on health impact of sugarcane farmers in Nong Kung Kaeo Sub-District, Sriboonruang District, Nongbua
Lampu Province.

Questionnaires were used for 146 sugarcane farmers working during December 2011 and
March 2012. Descriptive statistics were performed using STATA statistical program.
The results of the study found that most of illness affected on physical at 78.4%,
for example, muscle pain, back pain, cramp from working hard, heavy lift and tractor driving.
The effects on mental health was found that 96.6% of the farmers felt happy when they
received agricultural products and higher income from sugar cane. The second was found
that 92.6% of farmers felt good because they could earn their lives and had some money
for donation. The negative results on mental health, 97.3% of the farmers felt this job was
not safe; they were worry about pesticides contaminated in food, air, soil, and water.
Second was the feeling of dispute over the use of pesticides at 96.6%, even they knew the
disadvantages for themselves and others. The positive effects on society was found that
97.3% of the farmers had jobs and did not face with migration and 95.9% of them satisfied
with their families’ way of life and well being. The negative effects on society was found
that 78.8% of them faced with high production cost and went in dept, and 70.5% of them
worked so hard that missed the family and community activities.
Approaches to prevent and reduce the health impacts of sugarcane farmers
including training for sugar cane farmer in order to give them the knowledge about
ergonomics, using chemical in the farm for decreasing health impact and how to glow sugar
cane in the right way to reduce the production cost were suggested from the workshop
among key informants.