Culturally relevant model program to prevent and reduce agricultural injuries

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Health and Safety
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Pesticide injury prevention research is limited among American Indian farmers.
• A university-Navajo Nation partnership addressed this gap through a five-year agricultural intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and maintain safe use of integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.
• To evaluate the impact of a culturally relevant intervention on pesticide safety knowledge, practices, attitudes, and crop yield.

Main Methods:

• Applied Diffusion of Innovations theory and community-based approaches.
• Trained "model farmers" to deliver pesticide safety education to 120 farm families.
• Utilized longitudinal study design with walk-through analysis, knowledge/attitude tests, and yield analysis.

Main Results:

• Both intervention and control groups improved pesticide storage behaviors post-training.
• Significant improvements in safety practice knowledge scores were observed in both groups.
• The intervention group maintained knowledge and safety practices; attitudes and crop yields (corn, alfalfa) also improved significantly.

Conclusions:

• A culturally relevant, community-based intervention effectively improved pesticide safety knowledge, practices, and attitudes among American Indian farmers.
• The study successfully integrated traditional farming with modern IPM techniques, enhancing both safety and crop productivity.
• Behavior change theory and social networking were key components in achieving sustainable agricultural health outcomes.