Modeling farmers’ behavior in the use of agricultural pesticides: Application of an extended theory of planned behavior

Abstract

Background: Farmers often use agricultural pesticides (Ps) unsafely, posing significant occupational hazards. This study aimed to identify factors associated with behavior in Ps use among farmers using an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Methods: This study investigated 326 farmers of Khuzestan using the TPB and an extended version, ETPB-P, which included perceived threat and exaggerated risk-related messages as additional variables to the original theory. Results: All TPB variables, except for subjective norms (β = 0.072, t = 1.303), were significantly associated with behavioral intention (BI) to take protective measures in pesticide use (P < 0.05). TPB paths could predict 32% (R2 = 0.32) of agricultural pesticide use behaviors, while the ETPB-P paths improved predictive ability to 60% (R2 = 0.60). The ETPB-P model demonstrated stronger power in predicting farmers’ intention and behavior to use pesticides safely than the original TPB. Conclusion: The extended TBP model can serve as a useful framework for designing occupational health promotion programs that could improve safety behavior in pesticide use among farmers.