A study of the knowledge and attitudes of the middle and upper- middle income class urban dweller toward chemical pesticides

A study was made of 801 middle and upper-middle income class urban dwellers, 600 from Richmond and 201 from Roanoke Virginia, to determine the level of their knowledge of and attitude toward chemical pesticides. Certain profile characteristics were delineated and accessed for their relationship to the benchmark data.

This sub-study was designed from data obtained from the primary study, "The Effect of a Planned Communication Program on Changes of Attitude and Knowledge of the Urban Dweller Toward Chemicals and Pesticides," Budget Bureau No. 40-6673, Dr. R. H. Gruenhagen, Project Leader.

The sample audience scored approximately 70 per cent on the general knowledge questions and approximately 30 per cent on questions pertaining to knowledge of government regulations. This trend followed an evaluation of levels of attitude where general attitude was more favorable than attitude toward government regulations of pesticides and their use.

The mean educational level for the population was 12.5 years; mean age was 49. 7 years; three-fifths of the urban dwellers spent their early childhood in metropolitan areas and one-third were members of selected organizations. The majority of urban dwellers participated in certain special interest activities.

Urban dwellers from Richmond had a significantly higher level of education than urban dwellers from Roanoke. However, there was no significant difference between the benchmarks for the two groups of urban dwellers.

This sub-study indicates that extension educational programs on pesticides should give added emphasis to information on the role of government in regulating their use. Extension educational programs should be tailored to appeal to the high educational level and broad special interest activities of this urban audience.