Socio-environmental approach in nursing: focusing on rural labor and the use of pesticides

• Published in: Revista brasileira de enfermagem Vol. 69; no. 6; p. 1179
• Main Authors: Cezar-Vaz, Marta Regina, Bonow, Clarice Alves, Mello, Marlise Capa Verde Almeida de, Silva, Mara Regina Santos da
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem 01-11-2016
• Subjects: Accidents, Occupational; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Agricultural Workers' Diseases - epidemiology; Agricultural Workers' Diseases - nursing; Brazil - epidemiology; Cities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Environment; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nurse's Role; Pesticides - poisoning; Rural Population; Socioeconomic Factors; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0034-7167; 1984-0446
• DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2016-0364

to apply a socio-environmental approach to the relationship between human health and rural labor through a link verification/association between health disorders and the use of pesticides.
this is a quantitative, cross-sectional, observational and exploratory study with 331 inhabitants of two cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data analysis was conducted by Poisson regression.
reported health disorders included: mental (62.2%); circulatory (49.8%); dermatologic (45%); respiratory (41%); and gastric (36.2%). Workers who apply pesticides showed a 90% higher prevalence of dermatological alterations when compared to those who did not.
the socio-environmental approach, comprising elements of the rural environment, of workers, and of the use of pesticides in the work process in connection/association with potential health disorders has shown that rural workers who apply pesticides present a higher prevalence of dermatological alterations.