Effectiveness of a Participatory Program on Pesticide Use Behavior and Blood Cholinesterase Levels in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand

Abstract

This quasiexperimental study was designed to determine the effectiveness of a participatory program on pesticide use behavior and blood cholinesterase levels. The participants were 18-60 years old, living in Thung Satok subdistrict, San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province. Eighty subjects, including 32 farmers and 48 consumers, were recruited to participate in the study voluntarily by a purposive sampling technique. Data concerning each individual's behaviors were collected using questionnaires, and blood cholinesterase levels were obtained from whole blood finger, providing whole blood pre and postexperiment. The data were analyzed using Fishers' exact and paired t-tests, for the problem situations were independently analyzed. The results show that the participatory process made it possible to improve methods for the prevention of the unhealthy effects of pesticides. After participating in the activities, both groups showed significantly higher scores in before and after knowledge (P<0.05) and a decrease in pesticide contamination in their bodies as a result of the measurement of average cholinesterase which increased significantly (P<0.001). In conclusion, the participatory program was applied to solve health problems from chemical hazards. The program can raise awareness about chemical toxicity, leading to the modification of the related behavior toward chemicals and reduction of the contamination of chemicals in the body. Therefore, the adoption of participatory processes can effectively solve problems related to chemical hazards that affect health.