Table 1.
Characteristics of vegetable farmers comparing motorized backpack sprayers and battery pump backpack sprayers.
| Parameter | Motorized backpack sprayers (n = 23) | Battery pump backpack sprayers (n = 17) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender, n (%) | |||
| Male | 21 (91.3) | 9 (52.9) | 0.009* |
| Female | 2 (8.7) | 8 (47.1) | |
| Age, mean (SD) | 49.70 (7.39) | 51.24 (11.43) | 0.528 |
| Education level, n (%) | |||
| Primary school | 15 (65.2) | 12 (70.6) | 0.583 |
| Secondary school | 7 (30.4) | 3 (17.7) | |
| High vocational certificate | 1 (4.3) | 1 (5.9) | |
| Bachelor degree or over | - | 1 (5.9) | |
| Own farmland, n (%) | 22 (55) | 17 (42.5) | 1.000 |
| Level of income sufficiency, n (%) | |||
| Sufficient with savings | 9 (39.1) | 5 (29.4) | 0.875 |
| Sufficient without savings | 8 (34.8) | 8 (47.1) | |
| Not sufficient without debt | 1 (4.3) | - | |
| Not sufficient with debt | 5 (21.7) | 4 (23.5) | |
| Tobacco consumption, n (%) | |||
| Never | 15 (65.2) | 12 (70.6) | 0.520 |
| Past | 1 (4.3) | 2 (11.8) | |
| Current | 7 (30.4) | 3 (17.6) | |
| Alcohol consumption, n (%) | |||
| Never | 6 (26.1) | 8 (47.1) | 0.480 |
| Past | 2 (8.7) | 1 (5.9) | |
| Current | 15 (65.2) | 8 (47.1) | |
| Working in agricultural field, mean (range) (years) | 20.0 (15.0–35.0) | 34.0 (19.5–41.0) | 0.096 |
| Using pesticides, mean (range) (years) | 20.0 (10.0–35.0) | 23.00 (10.50–36.00) | 0.941 |
| Process of mixing and spraying alachlor, mean (range) | |||
| Alachlor volume used (l) | 0.40 (0.23–0.60) | 0.30 (0.15–0.40) | 0.088 |
| Volume sprayed (l) | 40.0 (26.0–60.0) | 26.0 (17.5–45.0) | 0.025* |
| Number of tanks sprayed | 2.0 (1.5–3.0) | 2.0 (1.0–2.0) | 0.081 |
| Duration sprayed (min) | 32.0 (27.0–50.0) | 29.0 (16.0–50.0) | 0.411 |
| Farm area sprayed (hectare) | 0.16 (0.08–0.24) | 0.08 (0.05–0.13) | 0.047* |
| Work clothing, n (%) | |||
| Cloth mask | 6 (26.1) | - | - |
| Disposable mask | - | 1 (5.9) | - |
| Balaclava | 17 (73.9) | 10 (58.8) | 0.314 |
| Long-sleeve shirt | 21 (91.3) | 15 (88.2) | 1.000 |
| Short-sleeve shirt | 2 (8.7) | 2 (11.8) | 1.000 |
| Long pants | 17 (73.9) | 13 (76.5) | 1.000 |
| Short pants | 6 (26.1) | 4 (23.5) | 1.000 |
| Goggles | 1 (4.3) | - | - |
| Latex gloves | 2 (8.7) | 3 (17.6) | 0.634 |
| Boots | 12 (52.2) | 9 (52.9) | 0.962 |
| Plastic apron | 3 (13.0) | - | - |
P-values were calculated using χ2 test and the Mann–Whitney U-test.
*P-value < 0.05.