Effectiveness of Promoting Safe Health Behaviors to Prevent Pesticide Exposure in Kokdu Sub-district, Mueang Loei District, Loei Province

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research aimed to study the effects of applying Protection Motivation Theory to promote safe practices against pesticide exposure among farmers in the Kokdu sub-district of Mueang Loei District, Loei Province. The sample consisted of 57 farmers with unsafe blood cholinesterase enzyme levels, who participated in a four-week intervention based on Protection Motivation Theory. Data collection tools included questionnaires assessing Protection Motivation Theory, protective behaviors regarding pesticide use, and blood cholinesterase levels. The instrument quality was confirmed with an Item Objective Congruence Index (IOC) of over 0.5 for all items, resulting in an overall IOC of 0.86 and a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.92. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including numbers, percentages, means, and standard deviations and inferential statistics included Dependent t-test.

        The results revealed that the majority of participants were male (68.42%), with a mean age of 46.84 years (range: 23-60 years). Most participants were aged 31-40 years (36.84%), married (50.88%), completed lower secondary education (40.35%), and had 6-10 years of pesticide use experience (33.33%). Pre-intervention, all participants exhibited unsafe blood cholinesterase levels, while post-intervention, 35.09% remained at unsafe levels. Prior to the intervention, Protective behaviors before the intervention were at a moderate level ( = 58.32, SD. = 10.29)  and significantly improved to a high level afterward  (  = 77.28, SD. = 9.64), reflecting a statistically significant increase (t=24.65, p<0.01). These findings suggest that the health promotion program can be effectively applied to modify pesticide protective behaviors, leading to sustainable behavioral changes through improved awareness and practice.