Impact of integrated organic farming practice on health of people in Ubolratana district, Khon Kaen province

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the physical health, psychosocial health (time for the family, interaction with the community and generosity among the community), family finance (savings, household debt and expenditure on food), agricultural land and happiness of Ubolratana community-dwellers.
Methods: Participants were 2,500 residents of Ubolratana District, Khon Kaen Province, who participated in a 3-day integrated organic farming training course during 2007-2009. By using an interview form, the participants were asked to compare their psychosocial health, family finance and the quality of their agricultural land at the study time with those at the pre-training period. Furthermore, they were interviewed about their perception of physical health condition within the past year. Their level of happiness was evaluated by using a numeric rating scale (1-10). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and T-test were applied for data analysis.
Results: Of the 2,500 participants, 1,695 (67.8%) were practicing integrated organic farming (IF group). The rest of them (non-IF group) did not currently practice because of the lack of their own land, sources of water or time. The number of IF participants who perceived themselves as having good physical health within the past year was significantly greater than that of the non-IF participants (79.6% vs. 70.4%, p<0.001). Positive findings in psychosocial health, family finance and quality of agricultural land were also significantly greater in the IF group than in the non-IF group. The self-reported level of happiness was higher in the IF group than in the non-IF group (7.51.9 vs. 5.31.0, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Community-dwellers could benefit from integrated organic farming practice in aspects of their physical and psychosocial health as well as family finance, thereby increasing personal happiness.