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Pesticide usage and occupational hazards among farmers working in small-scale tomato farms in Cameroon
Inst Med Res & Med Plant Studies IMPM, Cameroon;Stellenbosch Univ, South Africa.
Inst Med Res & Med Plant Studies IMPM, Cameroon.
Linnaeus University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1828-6831
Inst Med Res & Med Plant Studies IMPM, Cameroon.
2019 (English)In: Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, E-ISSN 2090-262X, Vol. 94, no 1, p. 1-7, article id 20Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Agriculture is undoubtedly the backbone of the Cameroonian economy, and other economic activities thrive only if production in this sector is assured. It has been estimated that approximately 25 million agricultural workers worldwide experience unintentional pesticide poisoning yearly. Unfortunately, limited information exists about the health and safety of the farmers. The aim of this study was to describe the occupational health and safety (OHS) conditions of farmers working on small-scale tomato farms in the western region of Cameroon. A cross-sectional research method was used to collect data from tomato farmers in May 2017, using a questionnaire developed by the research team. Results: A total of 104 tomato farmers from small-scale farms participated in the study. The analysis revealed that the occupation is male-dominated (86.5%). The training and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among farmers were rare (35.6%), and farmers were mostly exposed to chemical hazards. The farmers reported the following work-related health problems: skin irritation, backache, impairment of the central nervous system (CNS), visual problems, and respiratory difficulties. Conclusions: The OHS conditions on small-scale tomato farms are mostly poor, thus predisposing farmers to the risk of work-related health problems. Exposure to occupational hazards can be significantly reduced if the required PPE are available and efficiently used.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2019. Vol. 94, no 1, p. 1-7, article id 20
Keywords [en]
Tomato farmers, Pesticides, Occupational health and safety, Cameroon
National Category
Occupational Health and Environmental Health
Research subject
Social Sciences, Social Work
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-86958DOI: 10.1186/s42506-019-0021-xISI: 000473818200001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85067461901OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-86958DiVA, id: diva2:1338815
Available from: 2019-07-24 Created: 2019-07-24 Last updated: 2019-08-29Bibliographically approved

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Dapi Nzefa, Léonie

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CiteExportLink to record
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  • apa
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