Symptoms of Toxicity Due to Occupational Exposure among Farmers in Tripura, India

DIPAK DAS, RESEARCH FELLOW
Murali Dhar, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Agriculture, which ranks as the third most dangerous profession worldwide, presents a substantial public health dilemma. Farmers often use substantial amounts of agrochemicals, including pesticides and fertilizers, without any specialized training or safety protocols, resulting in health problems. Therefore, the current study aims to assess the prevalence of toxicity symptoms among the farmers due to use of agrochemicals in the in the rural and remote regions of Tripura, India. A total of 995 farmers in Dhalai district were selected using multistage stratified random sampling. A semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire. Bi-variate analysis, Chi-square test and Regression analysis was used. Approximately 39% of farmers experienced signs of toxicity resulting from the usage of agrochemicals, with a greater occurrence among males. Frequently reported symptoms were skin-rash (16%), vomiting (12%), skin redness (10%), headache (7%), and excessive sweating (6%). Significant correlations were found between poisoning symptoms and age, sex, occupation, smoking, and drinking characteristics. It is imperative to enhance awareness and training in order to encourage farmers to comply with safe agricultural techniques and maintain good personal hygiene. Furthermore, it is necessary to assess government welfare programs for farmers in order to guarantee efficient execution at the community level.

Keywords: Health and Morbidity, Population Policies, The Demography of Indigenous Populations

See paper.