Preventing Pesticide Toxicity Risk Through Self-Reported Practices in Children of Farming Communities: A Social Practice Theory Perspective

This study analyzes the determinants of self-reported behaviours and perceptions associated with pesticide toxicity risk in children using the Social Practice Theory framework, linking individual factors and agricultural practices to understand vulnerability and prevention opportunities. This research was conducted in Pattapang Village, Tinggimoncong District, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. To examine the relationship between pesticide use patterns, social norms, competence, material, and individual aspects and the risk of sensitive toxicity in children, data were analyzed using structural equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS) with bootstrapping resampling. Pesticide use patterns had a significant negative effect on toxicity risk. Competence was the strongest predictor of pesticide use patterns, followed by materials and short-term goals. Personal values dominate personal norms and long-term goals, while social norms only influence personal norms. Self-efficacy, personal norms, and long-term goals showed no significant effects. The novelty of this research lies in the integration of a socio-ecological approach with individual psychological factors in a comprehensive structural model that explains the complex mechanisms of children’s protective behavior formation from pesticide toxicity, identifying that personal values—not personal norms or self-efficacy—are the most effective leverage points for farmer behavior change interventions.