Abstract:In many human societies, domestic insect pests often evoke feelings of disgust, fear and aversion. These common feelings may translate to increased use of household pesticides. No study has ever explored this possibility and consequently, efforts to mitigate public exposure to domestic pesticides typically focus on addressing knowledge gaps. We tested the hypothesis that negative emotions toward insects may motivate people to use pesticides, by interviewing 70 participants and assessing their insect aversion l… Show more
“…Following the methods of [35], I created separate index values for Exposure, Insecticide Use, and Tendency, which were based on the answers to the corresponding sections of the questionnaire. In a nutshell, for every question, each possible answer contributed a certain number of points to a total grade (index value) in each interview section.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Each index value ranged from 0 (low) to 12 (high). For a detailed explanation on how indices were calculated, see [35].…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Haifa (042/22). In this study I used the questionnaire and a modified version of the aversion test used by Leibovich-Raveh and Gish [35].…”
Section: Data Collection and Proceduresmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Unlike the study conducted by Leibovich-Raveh and Gish [35], in which pictures of hands holding cockroaches were presented on a computer screen, in this study printed pictures were placed on cards (a total of 20 different pictures), which were presented to the participant in random order. Each participant was asked to rate the level of unpleasantness of each picture on a scale of 1-10.…”
Section: Aversion Testmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In short, the questionnaire [35] consisted of three sections. The first section contained questions designed to assess indoor exposure to pests, here referred to as "Exposure".…”
Insecticide products are widely used in homes around the world, despite concerns about their adverse health effects. Variations in insecticide use levels can stem not only from differences in environmental conditions, but also from societal factors. This study investigates the impact of religiosity on insecticide use in Jewish households, hypothesizing that religious families might use more insecticides because insects are considered taboo in Judaism. Data from interviews with 70 families, examining their insecticide use, exposure to pests, aversion to cockroaches, and other predisposing factors, revealed that despite similar levels of pest exposure, religious families reported higher insecticide use and greater aversion to cockroaches. Multiple linear regression analysis identified religiosity as the primary predictor of insecticide use, followed by pest exposure levels. The elevated insecticide use among religious Jewish families may stem from several factors, with the Jewish categorization of insects as “impure animals” that should be strictly avoided likely playing a crucial role in promoting insecticide use. Understanding how attitudes toward insects influence insecticide use across different societies is crucial for health and environmental authorities to develop novel insecticide-reduction initiatives that will be tailored to the unique social characteristics of various communities.
“…Following the methods of [35], I created separate index values for Exposure, Insecticide Use, and Tendency, which were based on the answers to the corresponding sections of the questionnaire. In a nutshell, for every question, each possible answer contributed a certain number of points to a total grade (index value) in each interview section.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Each index value ranged from 0 (low) to 12 (high). For a detailed explanation on how indices were calculated, see [35].…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Haifa (042/22). In this study I used the questionnaire and a modified version of the aversion test used by Leibovich-Raveh and Gish [35].…”
Section: Data Collection and Proceduresmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Unlike the study conducted by Leibovich-Raveh and Gish [35], in which pictures of hands holding cockroaches were presented on a computer screen, in this study printed pictures were placed on cards (a total of 20 different pictures), which were presented to the participant in random order. Each participant was asked to rate the level of unpleasantness of each picture on a scale of 1-10.…”
Section: Aversion Testmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In short, the questionnaire [35] consisted of three sections. The first section contained questions designed to assess indoor exposure to pests, here referred to as "Exposure".…”
Insecticide products are widely used in homes around the world, despite concerns about their adverse health effects. Variations in insecticide use levels can stem not only from differences in environmental conditions, but also from societal factors. This study investigates the impact of religiosity on insecticide use in Jewish households, hypothesizing that religious families might use more insecticides because insects are considered taboo in Judaism. Data from interviews with 70 families, examining their insecticide use, exposure to pests, aversion to cockroaches, and other predisposing factors, revealed that despite similar levels of pest exposure, religious families reported higher insecticide use and greater aversion to cockroaches. Multiple linear regression analysis identified religiosity as the primary predictor of insecticide use, followed by pest exposure levels. The elevated insecticide use among religious Jewish families may stem from several factors, with the Jewish categorization of insects as “impure animals” that should be strictly avoided likely playing a crucial role in promoting insecticide use. Understanding how attitudes toward insects influence insecticide use across different societies is crucial for health and environmental authorities to develop novel insecticide-reduction initiatives that will be tailored to the unique social characteristics of various communities.
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