Background and objective: Agriculture is livelihood of more than 70% of population in low-income countries. This study determined the socio-demographic profile, health behavior, and nutritional status of abaca farmers in Catanduanes.
Materials and methods: We randomly selected 240 Abaca farmers of the family heads, from top five abaca producing regions in the municipality of Catanduanes (Philippines).  They were interviewed face-to-face, and asked about nutritional status, sociodemographic information, and health behavior (smoking and alcohol consumption). The socio-demographic information was analyzed by descriptive statistics. Anthropometric measurements including BMI, waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio were calculated. Association of socio-demographic information with nutritional status, dietary assessment, and health behavior were also determined by chi square.
Results and conclusion: Most of the abaca farmers in Catanduanes were 30-49 years old men, had their own land for farming, and finished their primary education. Other than abaca farming, some individuals engaged in fishing and other agricultural works. Most of the abaca farmers had normal BMI, but prevalence of overweight was relatively high. High waist circumference and waist to hip ratio were also evident among the farmers. Majority of them were low-income families. However, they had a diverse diet because they had their backyard garden. Smoking and alcohol consumption that are associated with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, stroke, CVD, and cancer were prevalent among the farmers. We concluded that there is a risk of developing non-communicable diseases among abaca farmers. Therefore, the government should develop health promotion strategies towards improved nutritional education to help the prevention of such diseases in the future. Moreover, easy access to healthcare facilities is of main routes in this regard.