Community-Based Program for Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle Among Farmers in Indonesia: A Randomized Control Trial

Background: Due to their jobs, farmers are exposed to a high risk of pesticide and organophosphate exposure which can lead to chronic diseases. However, such a problem could be overcome by implementing a healthy lifestyle. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the community-based program on promoting a healthy lifestyle (CP2HL) among farmers in Indonesia. Material&Method: A randomized control trial was performed among 135 (INT=68; CON=67) farmers in Indonesia. The CP2HL using Transtheoretical Model-lead (TTM) lasted for 24 weeks and included education, training, and follow-up sessions for the INT group. Meanwhile, the CONT group attended a regular program at the local public health center to get their health measured. The modified healthy lifestyle among farmers was measured using six structured questionnaires. The inter-group and intra-group differences were evaluated using paired t-test analysis, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) used to assess intervention effectiveness.  Finding: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the modified healthy lifestyle after the intervention of CP2HL (p<0.05), including in the areas of organophosphate pesticide exposure; farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior; nutrition knowledge; musculoskeletal symptoms; upper respiratory infection symptoms; and farmer burnout. The INT group showed better healthy lifestyles compared to the CONT group during follow-up. Conclusion: We can conclude that CP2HL can significantly promote a healthy lifestyle among farmers after the intervention.

Community-Based Program for Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle Among Farmers in Indonesia: A Randomized Control Trial Keywords:

community based program , healthy lifestyle , farmers , Transtheoretical Model-lead (TTM) , CP2HL