Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri Lanka
Introduction: In Sri Lanka, pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and they have both beneficial effects and health hazards. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Sevanagala Grama Niladhari Division in south-eastern Sri Lanka, to assess the knowledge and practices on us...
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The Kandy Society of Medicine
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Sri Lanka Journal of Medicine |
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| author | N. Roshini S. L. Jayarathna N. Madushani C. U. Wickramasinghe K. B. Ekanayake D. M. G. Fernando |
| author_facet | N. Roshini S. L. Jayarathna N. Madushani C. U. Wickramasinghe K. B. Ekanayake D. M. G. Fernando |
| author_sort | N. Roshini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: In Sri Lanka, pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and they have both beneficial effects and health hazards.
Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Sevanagala Grama Niladhari Division in south-eastern Sri Lanka, to assess the knowledge and practices on usage of pesticides, using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, among farmers who were aged more than 30 years and selected by systematic random sampling.
Results and Discussion: In the sample of 210 male farmers, 204 (97%) had received formal school education and only 21 (10%) had received formal training on pesticide use. Many subjects were aware of the health effects of pesticides including renal failure (204, 97%), dizziness (180, 86%), headache (172, 82%) and cancers (166, 79%). Regarding knowledge of pesticide use, 147 (70%) had scored “good” and above, while 62 (30%) had a “moderate” score. The majority of farmers use some kind of protective equipment including protective clothing (149, 71%) and head coverings (129, 61%). The majority of subjects removed contaminated clothes (188, 90%), bathed using soap (181, 86%) and washed hands with soap and water (144, 69%) after spraying. Empty containers were thrown away by 144 (69%). Regarding the storage of empty containers, 203 (97%) subjects store them away from children while 174 (83%) use a storage room for this purpose. However, 3 (1%) subjects store them inside bedrooms. Regarding healthy practices of pesticide use, only 38 (18%) scored “good” or above, while 170 (81%) of the sample were ranked “moderate”. Knowledge of pesticide use and healthy practices showed a weak positive linear correlation (r=0.354, p<0.001).
Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight that the farmers in Sevanagala possess a satisfactory level of knowledge regarding the health effects and safe usage of pesticides, but their practices reveal gaps that need attention. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b66ee8fd3d7b4b509ef956ccc8baed7f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2579-1990 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | The Kandy Society of Medicine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sri Lanka Journal of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-b66ee8fd3d7b4b509ef956ccc8baed7f2025-08-20T02:47:35ZengThe Kandy Society of MedicineSri Lanka Journal of Medicine2579-19902025-01-0133481510.4038/sljm.v33i4.513513Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri LankaN. Roshini0https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3420-0652S. L. Jayarathna1N. Madushani2C. U. Wickramasinghe3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9737-1283K. B. Ekanayake4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6244D. M. G. Fernando5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6269-208XEastern University, BatticaloaEastern University, BatticaloaEastern University, BatticaloaUniversity of Peradeniya, PeradeniyaUniversity of Peradeniya, PeradeniyaUniversity of Peradeniya, PeradeniyaIntroduction: In Sri Lanka, pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and they have both beneficial effects and health hazards. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Sevanagala Grama Niladhari Division in south-eastern Sri Lanka, to assess the knowledge and practices on usage of pesticides, using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, among farmers who were aged more than 30 years and selected by systematic random sampling. Results and Discussion: In the sample of 210 male farmers, 204 (97%) had received formal school education and only 21 (10%) had received formal training on pesticide use. Many subjects were aware of the health effects of pesticides including renal failure (204, 97%), dizziness (180, 86%), headache (172, 82%) and cancers (166, 79%). Regarding knowledge of pesticide use, 147 (70%) had scored “good” and above, while 62 (30%) had a “moderate” score. The majority of farmers use some kind of protective equipment including protective clothing (149, 71%) and head coverings (129, 61%). The majority of subjects removed contaminated clothes (188, 90%), bathed using soap (181, 86%) and washed hands with soap and water (144, 69%) after spraying. Empty containers were thrown away by 144 (69%). Regarding the storage of empty containers, 203 (97%) subjects store them away from children while 174 (83%) use a storage room for this purpose. However, 3 (1%) subjects store them inside bedrooms. Regarding healthy practices of pesticide use, only 38 (18%) scored “good” or above, while 170 (81%) of the sample were ranked “moderate”. Knowledge of pesticide use and healthy practices showed a weak positive linear correlation (r=0.354, p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight that the farmers in Sevanagala possess a satisfactory level of knowledge regarding the health effects and safe usage of pesticides, but their practices reveal gaps that need attention.https://account.sljm.sljol.info/index.php/sljo-j-sljm2/article/view/513agriculturecross-sectional studiesfarmersknowledge on pesticidessri lanka |
| spellingShingle | N. Roshini S. L. Jayarathna N. Madushani C. U. Wickramasinghe K. B. Ekanayake D. M. G. Fernando Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Journal of Medicine agriculture cross-sectional studies farmers knowledge on pesticides sri lanka |
| title | Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri Lanka |
| title_full | Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri Lanka |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri Lanka |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri Lanka |
| title_short | Knowledge and Practices on the Usage of Pesticides among Farmers in Sevanagala, Sri Lanka |
| title_sort | knowledge and practices on the usage of pesticides among farmers in sevanagala sri lanka |
| topic | agriculture cross-sectional studies farmers knowledge on pesticides sri lanka |
| url | https://account.sljm.sljol.info/index.php/sljo-j-sljm2/article/view/513 |
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