Pesticide Exposure and Neurobehavioral Performance among Paddy Farmers

Abstract

The study aims to assess the potential risks and impacts of pesticide exposure on paddy farmers. Specifically, it focuses on evaluating the knowledge, attitude, and practices of these workers regarding pesticide exposure, as well as determining their neurobehavioral performance. This study adopted a questionnaire on knowledge, attitude, and practice and the workers were interviewed for their demographic information, health symptoms, and chemical exposure factors. The Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery assessment tools were used to evaluate neurobehavioral performance. About 43.9% of respondents had high knowledge of the pesticide used, 53.7% of them showed a concern level of attitude toward pesticide usage, and 68.3% of them indicated good practice while handling the pesticide. 48.8% of the workers showed underperformed neurobehavioral performance. The chi-square test revealed significant associations between neurobehavioral performance and spraying frequency (p = 0.005) and frequency of changing personal protective equipment (PPE) (p = 0.05). Overall, the study seeks to shed light on the level of risk, knowledge, attitudes, and practices among paddy rice workers regarding pesticide exposure. This information can guide the development of interventions and strategies to promote worker safety, minimize pesticide-related risks, and protect both human health and the environment.