| Title |
Vendor-based restrictions on pesticide sales to prevent pesticide self-poisoning - a pilot study
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
BMC Public Health, February 2018
|
| DOI | 10.1186/s12889-018-5178-2 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Manjula Weerasinghe, Flemming Konradsen, Michael Eddleston, Melissa Pearson, Shaluka Jayamanne, David Gunnell, Keith Hawton, Suneth Agampodi |
| Abstract |
In South Asia, up to 20% of people ingesting pesticides for self-poisoning purchase the pesticide from a shop with the sole intention of self-harm. Individuals who are intoxicated with alcohol and/or non-farmers represent 72% of such high-risk individuals. We aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of vendor-based restrictions on pesticide sales for such high-risk individuals. We conducted a pilot study in 14 (rural = 7, urban = 7) pesticide shops in Anuradhapura District of Sri Lanka. A two-hour training program was delivered to 28 pesticide vendors; the aim of the training was to help vendors recognize and respond to customers at high risk of pesticide self-poisoning. Knowledge and attitudes of vendors towards preventing access to pesticides for self-poisoning at baseline and in a three month follow-up was evaluated by questionnaire. Vendors were interviewed to explore the practice skills taught in the training and their assessment of the program. The scores of knowledge and attitudes of the vendors significantly increased by 23% (95% CI 15%-32%, p < 0.001) and by 16% (95% CI 9%-23%, p < 0.001) respectively in the follow-up. Fifteen (60%) vendors reported refusing sell pesticides to a high-risk person (non-farmer or intoxicated person) in the follow-up compared to three (12%) at baseline. Vendors reported that they were aware from community feedback that they had prevented at least seven suicide attempts. On four identified occasions, vendors in urban shops had been unable to recognize the self-harming intention of customers who then ingested the pesticide. Only 2 (8%) vendors were dissatisfied with the training and 23 (92%) said they would recommend it to other vendors. Our study suggests that vendor-based sales restriction in regions with high rates of self-poisoning has the potential to reduce access to pesticides for self-poisoning. A large-scale study of the effectiveness and sustainability of this approach is needed. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 6 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 2 | 33% |
| United States | 1 | 17% |
| Unknown | 3 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 6 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 77 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 77 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 11 | 14% |
| Student > Master | 8 | 10% |
| Student > Bachelor | 7 | 9% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 5 | 6% |
| Researcher | 4 | 5% |
| Other | 15 | 19% |
| Unknown | 27 | 35% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 9 | 12% |
| Psychology | 8 | 10% |
| Social Sciences | 6 | 8% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 4 | 5% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 4 | 5% |
| Other | 17 | 22% |
| Unknown | 29 | 38% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 12. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 June 2018.
All research outputs
#2,720,229
of 23,023,224 outputs
Outputs from BMC Public Health
#3,119
of 14,997 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#59,223
of 331,055 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BMC Public Health
#106
of 300 outputs
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So far Altmetric has tracked 14,997 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 14.0. This one has done well, scoring higher than 79% of its peers.
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