OBJECTIVE: To learn about risk perception associated with pesticide use in a small farming community located in Rio Branco, state of Acre, in Northern Brazil. METHODS: Psychological evaluation of 42 farmers using a structured questionnaire, with closed and open-ended questions and psychometric scales, to evaluate perception of risk related to farm work, conducted between the second half of 2008 and the first half of 2009. RESULTS: Women were unaware of the chemical risks they faced in their daily work. Most of them did not perceive how seriously pesticides could affect their health, and did not consider their job tasks as being dangerous. Among men, denial of occupational risk was observed, configuring as a strategy to continue working under knowingly harmful conditions. CONCLUSION: The study showed that risk perception in this group of small farmers influenced their work practices and the way they responded to the risks resulting from pesticide use. Risk perception should, therefore, be an object of analyses of workers' health surveillance and risk management initiatives.
pesticides; risk perception; workers' health; rural work; family agriculture
