Awareness levels of the health effects of agricultural pesticides and primary malignant bone tumours in hospital attendees in a town in South Africa

Access to healthcare and education levels are generally low in impoverished or low socioeconomic communities. Furthermore, in agriculture, education levels have been identified as an important factor in understanding the harmful effects of pesticides as well as in adherence to protective measures such as the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). However, compliance with PPE usage is a multifactorial phenomenon. We examined a community in Klerksdorp, South Africa, to analyse (i) their socioeconomic status and its association with awareness of the harmful effects of pesticides, (ii) awareness regarding the presentation of primary malignant bone tumours (PMBT), and (iii) factors influencing health-seeking behaviour. We had 208 participants who consented to take part in the study. The majority of our participants were of low socioeconomic status and unemployed (51%). Among those employed, 69% worked as general workers. Surprisingly, only 1.4% of our participants resided on actual farms, with most being urban dwellers. Despite this, over two-thirds of our cohort recognised the benefits of using PPE to guard against the harmful effects of agricultural pesticides and the necessity for early healthcare-seeking behaviour when bone tumours were suspected. Our study confirmed that poor socioeconomic status, alongside education, living conditions, employment status, and behavioural motivators, were not strongly associated with awareness of the health-related effects of agricultural pesticides and the presentation of PMBTs. However, reading literacy exhibited a statistically significant (p < 0.03) correlation with awareness of how PMBTs would present clinically.