Abstract:
The objectives of the study were to study the attitudes toward pesticide-free vegetable consumption of Ramkhamhaeng University (Hua Mak) students and the factors influencing their attitudes. Four hundred samples were selected from undergraduate students through accidental sampling technique. A questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect data. Its reliability, tested using Cronbach's method, was r = 0.72. Descriptive statistical analyses used were percentage, mean and standard deviation. The relationships among those norminal variables were tested using f-test and Pearson's product moment method correlation was used with the interval variables with statistical significance at .05 level.The findings showed that 53 percent of the students had positive attitudes toward pesticide-free vegetable consumption ( 59.01, S.D. = 3.59) and the rest (47 percent) had neutral attitudes (X 49.67, S.D. = 5.08). The negative attitudes were not found. The factors which influenced the students' attitudes toward pesticide-free vegetable consumption were sex, types of residence, their own consumption experience, their consumption experience with families and their health concerns (p < .05)The findings suggested that the responsible educational sectors should give the information about pesticide-free vegetables through the University's media. Also, the governmental agencies should help broadcast the information regarding knowledge and benefits of pesticide-free vegetables which would promote pesticide-free vegetable consumption and consequently attract an increase in the production of pesticide-free vegetables.