Factor Associated with Cholinesterase Levels of Agriculturists in Yangom Sub-District, Thakhantho District, Kalasin Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytic study aimed to study the knowledge, attitude, behavior as well as the risk of pesticide residue by checking the blood cholinesterase enzyme level and the factors associated with cholinesterase enzyme levels of the agriculturists in Yang Om sub-district, Thakhantho district, Kalasin province.  The number of 132 agriculturists was studied in this study.  The tools were questionnaire and the reactive paper testing for blood cholinesterase enzyme level. The questionnaire was approved by 3 experts for content validity. The Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient was 0.82 which considered as having high reliability. Multiple logistic regression was analyzed to describe the relationships between factors and cholinesterase enzyme levels. The effect size was presented by the adjusted Odds ratio (ORadj) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The results showed that most of whom were female 56.8%. The average age was 50.4±10.6 years, 76.5% was married, and 62.9% was primary education. The average duration of their occupation was 19.8±16.2 years, and the agriculturists have done their agricultural works on average 7.1±3.5 months per year, 68.2% planting crops and farming. People who sprayed the pesticides were 46.2%. They were the family member and pesticide spraying contractor. People who exposed to pesticides from pesticide mixing and spraying were 59.8%. 28.0% used chemicals in agriculture. 67.6% used Paraquat. For blood cholinesterase screening, most of the agriculturists (37.1%) had blood cholinesterase level in “Save level”, 35.6% was in “Not Save level”, 22.7% was in “Risk level” and 4.6% was in “Normal level”. By grouping blood cholinesterase screening into 2 levels as “Normal” (Save level + Normal level) and “Abnormal” (Risk + Not Save level), it was found that 58.3% of the subjects had blood cholinesterase enzyme in “Abnormal level” and 41.7% of them were in “Normal level”. Factors related to the blood cholinesterase enzyme showed the male had 2.46 times the risk of abnormal levels of cholinesterase more than in females (ORadj=2.46, 95%CI: 1.06-5.68; p-value= 0.036). Agriculturists who used pesticides had 2.82 times the risk of abnormal levels of cholinesterase more than who did not use (ORadj=2.82, 95%CI: 1.09-7.29; p-value= 0.032), and they did poor practices for pesticides had 5.25 times the risk of abnormal levels of cholinesterase more than who did good and mild practice for pesticides (ORadj=5.25, 95% CI: 2.24-12.33; p-value<0.001). Thus, the public health staff should change the behavior of agriculturists on how to use pesticides in good practice guideline given by the Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Diseases, Ministry of Public Health.