Utah Regional Differences in Respirator Use and Fit Testing among Pesticide Applicators

The purpose of this study was to determine regional differences within Utah in response to piloting a mobile respirator training and fit assessment program for pesticide applicators. The objectives were to describe worker perceptions of respirator use and training experiences. Pilot trainings were offered in two southern counties and two northern counties of Utah. A total of 141 individuals completed the post-training questionnaire regarding use and fit testing experience with respirators as well as perceptions of the benefits to protecting respiratory health. The majority of respondents were male (95.7%, f = 112). The proportion of participants in the southern counties who had respirator training experience (61.0%, f = 25) was not significantly higher (2 = 3.763, df = 1, p = 0.05) than the proportion of participants in the northern counties (43.0%, f = 43). Three-fourths (73.5%, f = 72) of participants in the northern counties agreed that they expect to wear a respirator in dusty conditions, while two-thirds (61.0%, f = 25) of participants in the southern counties agreed that they expect to wear a respirator in dusty conditions. The results indicated that more training should be done to improve perceptions and beliefs about using respirators. A high priority for this population will be identification of comfortable respirator options as well as communicating the importance of proper fit testing.