RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL AND ERYTHROCYTE AMOUNT IN HORTICULTURAL FARMERS IN THE DISTRICT OF PAAL MERAH, JAMBI CITY

Background: The District of Paal Merah, Jambi City, is a center for vegetable production for the Jambi City area and its surroundings. The aspect of excessive use of pesticides by farmers in the District of Paal Merah, Jambi City is a problem that needs attention, especially the practice of spraying which ignores aspects of safety and health of farmers that can lead to health problems both directly and indirectly for farmers. One of the long-term effects caused by exposure to pesticides is a decrease in hemoglobin levels and the amount of erythrocytes in the blood. Based on the report of the Payo Selincah Health Center in Jambi City, it was explained that in the District of Paal Merah, Jambi City in 2016 showed anemia sufferers reached 30% of the number of public health center visits. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the relationship of exposure to pesticides with hemoglobin levels and the number of erythrocytes in horticultural farmers in the District of Paal Merah, Jambi City. Method: This type of research is observational analytic with cross sectional study design conducted in the District of Red Paal with 80 respondents selected by purposive sampling. Data collection through interviews, observation, measurement of cholinesterase levels, measurement of hemoglobin levels and measurement of the amount of erythrocytes in the blood. Data analysis using chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: Based on the results of bivariate analysis, it was found that there were 3 independent variables related to hemoglobin levels, namely work period (p value = 0.005), frequency of spraying (p value = 0.007), pesticide dose (p value = 0.003, and no independent variables related to the number of erythrocytes. Conclusion: Based on research from 80 farmers who examined hemoglobin levels in the blood there were 73.8% of farmers who experienced abnormal hemoglobin levels, and 26.3% of farmers who experienced normal hemoglobin levels, and from 80 farmers who examined the amount of erythrocytes in blood is 22.5% of farmers who have an abnormal number of erythrocytes, and 77.5% of farmers have normal erythrocyte counts.