Analysis of health risk perceptions of chemical pesticides and the use of personal protective equipment among maize farmers in Ardabil province

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perception of the health risk of chemical pesticides and the use of personal protective equipment among farmers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among maize farmers in Ardabil province (N=1507) which was determined by multi-stage sampling and the table of Bartlett et al. (N=306). First, by determining the initial indicators, farmers' perceptions of pesticide health risk were assessed by the composite index (CI) technique. Farmers' groups were then analyzed based on the total composite index. According to the findings, the use of boots was the first priority and goggles the last priority was the use of personal protective equipment. There was a significant correlation between perceptions of health risk and use of personal protective equipment; but the perception of health did not necessarily correspond to the degree of toxicity of pesticides. According to the results of the composite index, 2,4-D herbicide was considered the most dangerous pesticide for farmers. Also, the most important differentiating variables of perception of health risk were mental norm, history of training courses and farm size, respectively. Despite the high perceptual and educational gap on pesticide health risks, special attention to group training methods, ongoing training feedback, involvement of local trustees and skilled farmers, and the use of local media and warning brochures can Improve perceptions of farmers' health risk (especially on a small scale).