A survey of Vietnamese farmers was carried out by the Research Department of the World Bank in the winter of 2003. Structured questionnaires were used to collect information on farming systems, pesticide use and practices, applicator precautions/averting behavior and health/ environmental effects. The main geographical area of interest is the Mekong Delta. The survey was divided into two major sections, one dealing with the socio-economics of pesticide use (e.g. production, pesticides used, protection, training, etc.) and another strictly dealing with the health of the farmer (e.g. questions on self-reported health ailments/ health-related habits, a general physical exam, and patch-skin and blood tests for pesticides). The survey was constructed by the World Bank team in collaboration with the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City (for socio-economic portion of the survey) and the Centre of Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH) of the Vietnam Association of Occupational Health (VINOH) for the medical survey. Each of these World Bank counterparts was responsible for the implementation of the survey. To minimize any possible reporting bias, the survey was conducted under the agreement that the team would not reveal the identity of the farmers surveyed or the respondents.
