Knowledge and practices toward occupational health and environmental sustainability among farmers in Pabna District, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
- 1Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University
Abstract
Bangladeshs agricultural sector remains heavily dependent on pesticides and chemical inputs, yet limited attention has been paid to how farmers knowledge of occupational health and environmental sustainability translates into actual practice across the full agricultural value chain. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of farmers in Pabna District, Bangladesh, regarding occupational health, pesticide handling, environmentally sustainable farming, and market sanitation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 301 farmers in 2024 using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, sustainable farming knowledge and adoption, soil testing and organic farming practices, pesticide handling and occupational health and safety behaviours, post-harvest waste management, and market sanitation conditions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The majority of respondents were male (87.04%) and had no formal education (63.46%). Although most farmers reported knowledge of environmentally sustainable farming practices (97.70%) and pesticide label instructions (98.00%), corresponding safety practices were poor: only 10.63% reported wearing any personal protective equipment and 1.33% reported using a mask during pesticide application. Eye irritation was the most commonly self-reported health symptom following pesticide exposure (92.69%). Market sanitation infrastructure was similarly inadequate, with 89.00% of respondents reporting an absence of sanitary toilets. These findings indicate a consistent gap between farmers knowledge and their actual practices across multiple domains of the agri-food system. Strengthening extension services, delivering practical hands-on occupational safety training, and investing in market sanitation infrastructure are recommended to close this gap and support safer, more sustainable farming practices in Bangladesh.
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BibTeX
@misc{parvin2026knowledge,
title = {{Knowledge and practices toward occupational health and environmental sustainability among farmers in Pabna District, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study}},
author = {S. Parvin and M. O. Rashid and M. M. Rahman and A. A. Zaber and M. B. Hossain and R. Begum and M. A. Haque},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.04.26364727},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.04.26364727v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Knowledge and practices toward occupational health and environmental sustainability among farmers in Pabna District, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
AU - S. Parvin
AU - M. O. Rashid
AU - M. M. Rahman
AU - A. A. Zaber
AU - M. B. Hossain
AU - R. Begum
AU - M. A. Haque
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/04
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.04.26364727
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.04.26364727v1
AB - Bangladeshs agricultural sector remains heavily dependent on pesticides and chemical inputs, yet limited attention has been paid to how farmers knowledge of occupational health and environmental sustainability translates into actual practice across the full agricultural value chain. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of farmers in Pabna District, Bangladesh, regarding occupational health, pesticide handling, environmentally sustainable farming, and market sanitation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 301 farmers in 2024 using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, sustainable farming knowledge and adoption, soil testing and organic farming practices, pesticide handling and occupational health and safety behaviours, post-harvest waste management, and market sanitation conditions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The majority of respondents were male (87.04%) and had no formal education (63.46%). Although most farmers reported knowledge of environmentally sustainable farming practices (97.70%) and pesticide label instructions (98.00%), corresponding safety practices were poor: only 10.63% reported wearing any personal protective equipment and 1.33% reported using a mask during pesticide application. Eye irritation was the most commonly self-reported health symptom following pesticide exposure (92.69%). Market sanitation infrastructure was similarly inadequate, with 89.00% of respondents reporting an absence of sanitary toilets. These findings indicate a consistent gap between farmers knowledge and their actual practices across multiple domains of the agri-food system. Strengthening extension services, delivering practical hands-on occupational safety training, and investing in market sanitation infrastructure are recommended to close this gap and support safer, more sustainable farming practices in Bangladesh.
ER -