Knowledge and practices regarding safe pesticide use among farmers in the Bardiya District, Nepal: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Improper pesticide handling poses immediate and long-term health risks. This is particularly true in developing countries, where these chemicals are often used with minimal protection. This study aimed to assess farmers' knowledge and practices regarding safe pesticide use in Nepal.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 287 farmers in Rajapur Municipality, Nepal, in 2024. The respondents were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize categorical variables, Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the relationship between knowledge and practice, and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify significant factors associated with adequate knowledge and practice (p < 0.05).

Results: Respondents had a mean age of 42.1 years (SD ± 10.8). Most farmers (86.8%) demonstrated adequate overall practices. However, only 2.1% used a complete set of personal protective equipment, 97.9% prepared pesticides in the field, and only 5.2% received training, indicating critical gaps in safe practice. Similarly, only 34.5% of respondents had adequate knowledge, particularly farmers' knowledge of reading instructions (20.2%), and symptom recognition (21.3%) was poor. A moderate positive correlation (r = 0.458, p < 0.001) was observed between knowledge and practice. Factors significantly associated with knowledge included years of pesticide use, social media exposure, and training. Ethnicity and family type were associated with adequate practices.

Conclusion: Despite adequate overall practices, significant knowledge gaps and poor safety practices were identified. Targeted educational interventions and training programs are crucial to enhance knowledge and promote safe behaviors.