Why Greenhouse Workers Do Not Use Pesticide Protection Methods? A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study

Greenhouse workers encounter elevated health risks from pesticide exposure compared to workers in other agricultural sectors. This is a significant public health issue contributing to increasing mortality/morbidity rates worldwide. The use of protection methods is essential to minimize these risks. This study aimed to investigate the factors that lead greenhouse workers to not use methods to protect themselves from pesticide exposure.

This study used a qualitative descriptive case methodology with 20 greenhouse workers. A semi-structured interview guide was used for individual, in-depth, face-to-face interviews. Braun and Clark's (2021) reflexive thematic analysis methodology was adopted to analyze the data.

Three main themes and ten sub-themes emerged, reflecting the views and perspectives of greenhouse workers regarding their reasons for avoiding pesticide protection methods. Prominent obstacles included personal attitudes/characteristics such as personal neglect, lack of information, and insufficient time; negative aspects of the physical environment such as temperature, humidity, evaporation, and mud; and negative features of personal protective equipment such as comfort/ergonomics issues, allergic reactions, and economic/accessibility constraints.

Training, monitoring, and policy implementation that increase the adoption of protection methods can be disseminated both locally and in similar international contexts to improve the health and safety of greenhouse workers.