Effectiveness of Educational Programs on Caregiver Knowledge, Attitudes, Intentions, and Behaviors for Preventing Residential Insecticide Exposure Among Young Children Living in Agricultural Areas of Wiang Haeng District, Chiang Mai Province
Abstract:
Residential pesticide exposure can be harmful to the health of young children, particularly in agricultural areas. It is then necessary to educate caregivers of young children about pesticide exposure prevention. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a two-pronged education intervention for caregivers in preventing pesticide exposure among Thai young children living in agricultural areas. This quasi-experimental study recruited 90 primary caregivers of young children (aged 6 months to 5 years) from three villages in Muang Haeng Sub-district, Wiang Haeng District, Chiang Mai Province. Thirty caregivers from the same village were assigned to one of three groups: booklet plus lecture intervention, only booklet intervention, and control. Caregivers in both interventions received a booklet that educated them on residential pesticide exposure and prevention. The caregivers in the booklet plus lecture group additionally attended a 2-hour lecture with the same content as the booklet. The control group did not receive any intervention. A questionnaire was developed to assess caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, intention, and behaviors regarding residential pesticide exposure and prevention in children. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the participants homes three times: baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. Mixed effects models were used to determine the magnitude of the overall intervention effect. From baseline to post-intervention, the mean scores in the booklet plus lecture group increased significantly more than the control group by 4.63 for knowledge (p < 0.001), 8.17 for attitudes (p < 0.001), and 3.23 for intention (p = 0.02). The mean scores in the booklet group increased significantly more than the control group by 3.17 for knowledge (p = 0.001) and 4.23 for attitudes (p = 0.001). From baseline to follow-up, the mean scores in the booklet plus lecture group and in the booklet group increased significantly more than the control group by 4.87 (p < 0.001) and 3.83 (p < 0.001) for knowledge, 9.47 (p < 0.001) and 5.00 (p < 0.001) for attitudes, 4.70 (p = 0.001) and 3.80 (p = 0.006) for intention, and 5.40 (p = 0.002) and 5.37 (p = 0.002) for behaviors, respectively. In conclusion, both the booklet plus lecture method and the booklet method alone have a positive effect on improving the caregiver's knowledge and behaviors regarding pesticide exposure prevention at home. Thus, providing a booklet to caregivers to reduce children's risk of pesticide exposure is recommended.