Factors Associated with Farmer’s Behaviors of Using Pesticide Safely: Exploratory Factor Analysis

摘要

Farmers used a large amount of pesticides in their cultivation process particularly those who aimed at selling their produces to the market. These posed a high risk of pesticide poisoning. Their family members and consumers were also at risk. The study aimed to investigate the factors associated with farmer’s behaviors of using pesticides safely. The cross–sectional study was carried out into two stages. The first stage: a qualitative study was performed in 17 farmers to seek factors related to the farmers’ safe use of pesticides. The second stage: a quantitative study was using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to analyzes data of 230 randomly farmers to identify factors associated with the farmers’ safe use of pesticides.Theresults reveals that farmers’ behaviors of using pesticide safely were associated with 8 factors including 1) Social reasons, 2) Personal Protection, 3) Confidence in residue-free cultivation, 4) Eagerness to learn, 5) Risk Perception, 6) Practices, 7) Knowledge of Toxicity and 8) Economic reasons. Thesafe use of pesticides among farmers was associated with several factors. Further, the programmes aiming at changing farmers’ behaviors of pesticide use need to address these multi-dimensional factors.