Occupational safety and health risks of farmers: A qualitative study in Guyana.
Background: Despite extensive evidence highlighting the detrimental effects of pesticide exposure on farmers in Low and Middle Income Countires (LMICs), the issue remains unresolved. A research gap persists in understanding why well-documented hazards and existing interventions—ranging from safety t...
| Publicado en: | Work Vol. 82; no. 4; pp. 1224 - 1240 |
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| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Sage Publications Inc.
Dec2025
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=189710099&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 189710099 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 10519815 3RC jtl: Work issn: 10519815 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Dec2025 vid: 82 iid: 4 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 189710099 189710099 189710099 10.1177/10519815251358253 189710099 ppf: 1224 ppct: 16 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Occupational safety and health risks of farmers: A qualitative study in Guyana. aug: au: Parasram, Barry Choudhury, Avishek affil: Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA sug: subj: Farmworkers Psychosocial Factors Pesticides Adverse Effects Occupational Safety Methods Occupational Health Legislation and Jurisprudence Government Regulations Government Agencies Guyana Occupational Diseases Risk Factors Occupational Diseases Prevention and Control Risk Assessment Administrative Personnel Psychosocial Factors Government Employees Psychosocial Factors Employee Attitudes Evaluation Human Male Female Adolescence Adult Middle Age Aged Aged, 80 and Over Guyana Qualitative Studies Phenomenological Research Semi-Structured Interview Thematic Analysis Personal Protective Equipment Occupational Exposure Risk Factors Occupational Safety Education Health Policy Quality Control (Technology) Agriculture Insurance, Health Health Behavior Risk Taking Behavior Descriptive Research Purposive Sample Audiorecording Health Belief Model Social Learning Theory Diffusion of Innovation Organizational Theory Attitude to Risk Cues Costs and Cost Analysis Social Norms Self-Efficacy Role Models Culture Cognition Agrochemicals Adverse Effects Food Safety Adolescent: 13-18 years Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Aged: 65+ years Aged, 80 & over Male Female ab: Background: Despite extensive evidence highlighting the detrimental effects of pesticide exposure on farmers in Low and Middle Income Countires (LMICs), the issue remains unresolved. A research gap persists in understanding why well-documented hazards and existing interventions—ranging from safety training programs to policy reforms—have not translated into widespread improvements in farmer safety. Objectives: The present study aims to understand the perception of farmers and the ministry of agriculture in Guyana regarding pesticide use, safety practices, regulatory enforcement and strategies for improving occupational health outcomes. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to capture the in depth perspectives of 16 agricultural extension officers from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute and 16 farmers across the various agricultural sectors using semi-structured 30-min-long interviews. Results: Responses revealed seven themes: (a) Barriers to Proper Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), (b) Challenges in Safe Chemical Use, (c) Health Impacts of Unsafe Chemical Exposure, (d) Challenges in Farmer Training and Adoption of Safety Practices, (e) Lack of Policies and Monitoring for Farmer Safety and Chemical Use, (f) Absence of Quality Control and Unsafe Practices in Local Produce, and (g) Lack of physical safety and insurance. Each theme highlights differences in perceptions between farmers and Ministry of Agriculture officials, and is interpreted through structural, cultural, and behavioral lenses. Conclusion: Our study reveals a reinforcing relationship between systemic gaps, unsafe practices, and poor outcomes. Addressing these challenges requires a participatory approach that bridges the perceptual gaps between the agriculture ministry and farmers. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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