Digital surveys in mobile devices to describe exposition risks to pesticides: an example from Loma del Gallo, El Salvador
Eduardo Vela, Roberto Mejía, Alexandre Ribó, Edgar Quinteros, Alejandro López, Carlos M. Orantes
National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health of El Salvador (INS, MINSAL)
Presentation: Video available since 21.08.2014, [Video]
Discussion: 26.08.2014, [Discussion]
The inadequate uses of pesticides for agricultural production generate an impact in human health and environment. In El Salvador the massive use of pesticides allows nearby population to be exposed to different types of pesticides, which in many cases are highly dangerous. In order to describe the exposure to pesticides a survey has been conducted in Loma del Gallo community, located in La Paz, El Salvador. This community it is nearby to sugar cane fields and to an abandoned pesticide factory which stores high amounts of pesticide waste. To facilitate the implementation of this survey, MobiForms, an Android 4+ tool, has been developed with free software to collect data. MobiForms provides a user interface to create digital surveys and doesn’t require Internet connection for gathering and collecting data.
MobiForms creates a SQLite database structure and presents a friendly interface using the Django web development framework. An Android app to export data to Microsoft Excel spread sheets has been created, too. Debian Kit available in Google Play app store for free has been used to run MobiForms.
A representative sample of population over 18 years old of Loma del Gallo community was established, and a survey for farmers and non-farmers was made to this sample. This survey included questions related to: demographic data, attitudes regarding to use of pesticides, to type and to amounts of pesticides and to estimate of population exposure to different types of pesticides.
Survey results had permitted identify that the population has an high exposure to massive use of pesticides in Loma de Gallo community, as well as to toxic waste from the former pesticide factory. MobiForms has permitted to collect this information using a tablet device, minimizing typing errors and controlling the questionnaire flow, helping to reduce data collecting time and to optimize the information administration.
MobiForms creates a SQLite database structure and presents a friendly interface using the Django web development framework. An Android app to export data to Microsoft Excel spread sheets has been created, too. Debian Kit available in Google Play app store for free has been used to run MobiForms.
A representative sample of population over 18 years old of Loma del Gallo community was established, and a survey for farmers and non-farmers was made to this sample. This survey included questions related to: demographic data, attitudes regarding to use of pesticides, to type and to amounts of pesticides and to estimate of population exposure to different types of pesticides.
Survey results had permitted identify that the population has an high exposure to massive use of pesticides in Loma de Gallo community, as well as to toxic waste from the former pesticide factory. MobiForms has permitted to collect this information using a tablet device, minimizing typing errors and controlling the questionnaire flow, helping to reduce data collecting time and to optimize the information administration.