Data collection

Participants were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire on their management of APP cases and how they record and report the cases through the Health Management Information System. They were also asked about their knowledge and practices that contribute to surveillance of APP, their knowledge on pesticide label instructions, their experience in handling APP, the type of first aid measures recommended for APP, and their knowledge of adverse health effects of pesticides, precautionary measures contained on pesticide labels, and the classification of pesticides by World Health Organization (WHO) hazard class and by chemical groups. The data were collected by the principal investigator and 2 assistants between January and December 2005. The assistants were laboratory technicians working at TPRI for more than 15 years in pesticide-related research. For the study, the technicians received refresher training on pesticide classification, first aid measures for pesticide poisoning, pesticide labels, and how to administer the questionnaire for HCPs.

The data collection tool was pretested in January 2005 using a small sample of HCPs (n = 10) in selected facilities in Arusha Municipality before use in the main study.