PREVALENCE OF PHYSICAL HAZARDS ASSESSMENT AMONG FARMERS IN OTUOGIDI, BAYELSA EAST NIGERIA : A COMMUNITY BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

ABSTRACT Aim/Objective: Farmers in rural communities of the Niger Delta, particularly Otuogidi Community in Bayelsa State, are routinely exposed to diverse physical hazards during agricultural activities; yet community-specific prevalence data remain scarce. This study assessed the prevalence of physical hazards among farmers in Otuogidi Community, identified the types of hazards encountered, and examined the factors influencing exposure. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted using the Cochran formula, a sample size of 384 farmers was determined from the farming population of Otuogidi Community. A structured, validated questionnaire with three sections was administered face-to-face by the researchers. Data were analyzed using SPSS expressed in frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The criterion mean of 3.00 was adopted for decision-making on Likert-scale items. Results: Findings from this study shows that the most prevalent physical hazards were excessive heat or sun exposure (89.1%), injuries from sharp tools or machinery (84.4%), slips, trips, or falls (76.0%), and extreme cold or wet conditions (72.4%). Factors most strongly identified as contributing to exposure included lack of protective equipment (x̅ = 4.45), long working hours or fatigue (x̅ = 4.36), and weather conditions (x̅ = 4.32). All seven factor items yielded means above the criterion mean of 3.00, indicating farmers agreed that these factors significantly influenced their hazard exposure. The grand mean of 4.23 confirmed a high overall level of agreement with the identified factors. Physical hazard prevalence among farmers in Otuogidi Community is alarmingly high, driven by environmental, behavioral, and infrastructural factors. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for community-specific occupational health interventions, including PPE provision, hazard awareness training, and policy reforms to extend occupational safety protections to the informal agricultural sector in Bayelsa State. Keywords: Community, Farmers, Hazard, Prevalence, Protective equipment.