Journal of Agromedicine最新文献

Objectives: Agricultural health and safety educators, including community health workers and Extension agents, represent an important community of practice, connecting agricultural workers (i.e. migrant and seasonal farmworkers) to health information and care. We sought to identify and evaluate existing education resources available to educators for use in health education and outreach with farmworkers.

Methods: This study used a systemized search process to identify health education materials in English and Spanish used in the United States. Two independent coders coded each material for its understandability and actionability using the Patient Educational Material Assessment Tool (PEMAT). We report descriptive statistics by type of material, topic, and publication date of the material.

Results: We identified farmworker health education materials (n = 602) from across the United States. The average understandability score was 86%, and the average actionability score was 76%. Materials were most commonly print material in the format of handouts, brochures, and posters. Some topic areas (e.g. musculoskeletal injuries) had considerably more resources than others (e.g. green tobacco).

Conclusion: This research represents the first, to our knowledge, comprehensive assessment of health education materials for education and outreach to agricultural workers. While the average scores for understandability and actionability were high among materials, there is room to build a stronger set of resources in some topic areas and to modernize materials for electronic delivery. Using PEMAT tools can help the Extension and community health worker communities of practice improve the quality of materials they share with agricultural workers.

Incubator and accelerator programs are important tools for innovators looking to take their ideas to scale. Unfortunately for agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AgFF) populations who are at high risk for occupational injuries and fatalities, few safety and health solutions have graduated from these programs. This brief report explores what it will take to develop an incubator process specific to AgFF safety and health innovations and ensure that those innovations are accessible to and adopted by workers.

Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility and effect of an Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) Ag Safety Education mail-out program to secondary school-based agricultural education programs. The following aims were addressed: a) develop an IVR Ag Safety game, b) implement a mail-out program for the Rollover Ranch Ag Safety game, and c) evaluate the effectiveness and engagement of an IVR Ag safety program.

Methods: We enrolled 44 schools. Participants were invited to complete a pre- and post-knowledge assessment, and students and faculty evaluations of the experience.

Results: Statistical analysis was completed using an independent t-test. The Pre scores (n = 423) had a Mean = 72.2% (S.D. = 15.2) and Post scores (n = 174) had a Mean = 79.8% (S.D. = 17.2) Post test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores t (595) = 5.36, p < .001, d = 0.48. The test questions were then divided into subsets of Tractor Safety, ATV Safety, and Electrical Safety, and all subset scores showed statistically significant increases. The students scored highest on ATV safety, Pre score mean = 89.1% (S.D. = 17.3) and post score mean = 93.1% (S.D. = 15.7). Tractor Safety Scores had a pretest Mean = 71.2 (S.D. 22.7) and a post-test score mean = 78.3 (S.D. = 23.4). The lowest performing questions were on electrical safety with a pre-test mean = 40.6% (S.D. = 37) and a post-test mean = 57.2% (S.D. = 40.8). The students' evaluations reported the game was entertaining (85.63%) and increased their understanding of Ag Safety (63.8%). Most students (79.64%) wanted to continue to use IVR. The majority of faculty (77%) indicated that IVR assisted in teaching, and 92% indicated they would want to continue using IVR as a teaching modality.

Conclusion: IVR can be delivered to serve all geographical areas, allowing dissemination throughout a rural state. Students learned and were engaged; faculty found it easy to use and both would desire to use it again. Further research is needed, including long-term follow-up on retained knowledge and, more importantly, if it translates into appropriate behavior when operating agricultural equipment and electrical safety.

Objectives: Outdoor occupations like agriculture expose individuals to higher levels of ultraviolet radiation, increasing the risk of skin cancer. Although most individuals in agriculture recognize the importance of sun protection, adherence to preventive measures may be inconsistent. Our study aimed to explore sun protection behaviors among agricultural industry workers in Pennsylvania and identify specific barriers faced in practicing sun safety.

Methods: We conducted a convenience sample survey at the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the country (Pennsylvania Farm Show). The survey, based on established measures, assessed sun protection practices among agricultural industry workers using a 2-page questionnaire covering demographics, sun protection habits, barriers, and skin examination history. Exclusion criteria included not identifying as an agricultural industry worker, age under 18, and inability to read and understand English. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and multivariable logistic regression, controlling for age, gender, education, skin tone, previous skin cancer diagnosis, and occupational sector, were employed in analysis.

Results: The response rate was 86%, with 7 of 202 surveys excluded (n = 195). Regarding sun exposure knowledge, 63.1% believed their skin cancer risk was higher than indoor workers, and 80.0% perceived unprotected sun exposure as harmful. However, 71.8% reported infrequent sunscreen use. The most common barrier to sun protection was forgetting (49.2%), and 59.0% noted their workplace lacked built-in sun protection. Regression models revealed lower education, darker skin tones, and male gender as significant predictors of underestimating sun exposure risks (p < .01). Men were less likely than women to discuss sun protection with their primary care providers, undergo skin checks, or receive sun protection information from healthcare providers (p < .05). Additionally, men were less likely than women to regularly wear and reapply sunscreen but more likely to wear hats of any type (p < .05).

Conclusion: Despite awareness of skin cancer risk, reported sun protection usage among agricultural industry workers in Pennsylvania was inconsistent, highlighting the need for interventions tailored to addressing barriers like forgetfulness. This study compares sun protection practices between occupational sectors within agriculture. Future qualitative research studies focusing on specific sectors and their unique practices are crucial for developing tailored messaging strategies and targeted, workplace-based interventions.

Objectives: Aquaculture seafood production exists on every inhabited continent. Small-scale, bivalve shellfish farming is a growing industry on the East Coast of the United States. Aquaculture workers in the US experience high injury and illness rates relative to the average worker, and many small-scale aquaculture operations are exempted from national injury and illness reporting requirements. Given current evidence of occupational safety and health (OSH) risks, planned industry expansion, and limited systematic OSH data collection from small aquaculture farms, it is critical to understand challenges and opportunities to promote worker safety and health on these operations.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with nine oyster producers in Maryland (n = 8) and Virginia (n = 1) to document their perspectives on occupational safety and health (OSH) issues.

Results: Respondents reported various hazards and safety interventions spanning the hierarchy of controls. Many desired better access to safety training and interventions.

Conclusions: This study contributes to global efforts to improve safety and health in the fast-growing aquaculture sector. Like other developing aquaculture industries, Chesapeake Bay shellfish aquaculture producers face significant OSH challenges, with limited safety resources and guidance. Governmental industry development support should include funding for robust and industry-inclusive OSH surveillance and interventions, concentrating on the most effective hazard control measures, including elimination, substitution, and engineering controls.

Objectives: Given outlooks for farm succession, it is important to understand how planning impacts farmer health and how to equip individuals facilitating succession. This research explored perceptions of stress during succession planning, the perceived challenges, and professional needs to better support clients' mental health.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with agricultural advisors (n = 12). Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Researchers applied inductive thematic analysis, using concept coding as the first-round method before engaging in code mapping and axial coding to finalize categories and determine prominent themes for each research question.

Results: A shared set of stressors was identified. While technical stressors were recognized, emotional stressors were most prominent. Though research was not limited to family farms, family business systems were emphasized as having specific impacts on succession. Additionally, advisors recognized relational conflict, lack of communication, and navigating uncertainty as some factors contributing to stress. Advisors noted masked stressors such as identity confusion, guilt, and a lost sense of purpose can pose significant threats to farmers' mental health. Many felt competent in identifying potential signs of distress but expressed a need for additional mental health-related training.

Conclusions: Continued education and the creation of a streamlined professional network and resource directory are needed to improve information sharing and programming for advisors helping farmers and farm families navigate conflict and life changes.

Objective: Interest in wearable passive back-supports (exoskeletons/suits) has grown rapidly as a tool to reduce the risk of low back injury by reducing lumbar extensor muscle loading. Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of passive back-support exoskeleton/suit at reducing low back muscle activity/fatigue in a variety of tasks, but it is unclear whether an exoskeleton/exosuit intervention would be effective in agricultural harvesting tasks that require complex three-dimensional dynamic motions, long duration stooped postures, and variable engagement of the lower extremities. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a passive lumbar support exosuit on muscle fatigue and comfort/mobility during a simulated harvesting task in a controlled laboratory setting.

Methods: Sixteen participants were asked to perform a continuous work task that simulated a 3-min bout of harvesting from a bush crop. Participants harvested at a rate of 1 unit per 2 s and were permitted to assume any effective harvesting position except a full kneeling posture. Test contractions and subjective assessments were performed before and after each 3-min bout of a simulated harvesting task to allow for an assessment of the 1) changes in objective measures of erector spinae muscle fatigue development (both time domain and frequency domain measures of muscle fatigue) and 2) subjective measures of physical fatigue, and 3) exosuit comfort and mobility constraints.

Results: The exosuit significantly mitigated the increases in EMG amplitude in the time domain (p = .015; Cohen's d = 0.46) indicating a mitigation of muscle fatigue, but there was no significant exosuit effect on median frequency (p = .145) or perceived fatigue in the low back (p = .289). In addition, the exosuit use was associated with significant increases in perceived movement restriction (p < .001; d = 0.82) which were also manifested in terms of significant effects of the exosuit on the magnitude of the 90^th percentile of the trunk flexion (p = .027, d = 0.29).

Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated moderate muscle fatigue reduction effects at the cost of a negative impact on objective and subjective measures of trunk motion restrictions and comfort.

Background: Livestock disease outbreaks are challenging to control and often lead to animal deaths, sometimes necessitating the mass euthanasia of an entire herd or flock, a process known as depopulation. Depopulation is essential for safeguarding animal welfare, human health, and economic stability, as well as preventing the further spread of disease. While significant advancements have been made in the surveillance, detection, and disposal of affected farm animals, less attention has been given to the impact of livestock diseases and depopulation on farmers' mental health. This study explored the mental health effects of these events on farmers and identified strategies to enhance their resilience in coping with such stress.

Methods: Using a qualitative study, 20 farmers, veterinarians, and industry experts were recruited to describe the experience of livestock diseases and depopulation in Alberta, Canada through semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. All had experience with livestock diseases, and 18 had direct depopulation experience. To capture a broad spectrum of the impact on farmers, we gathered feedback from those raising cattle, swine, poultry, deer and elk, sheep, goats, and bees. The interviews were analyzed using a thematic approach to identify common themes.

Results: Five themes and five sub-themes emerged from the analysis: emotional distress (with sub-themes of shock and helplessness, anxiety and hypervigilance, despondency and waning motivation, fear of judgment and stigma, and contextual variables), threats to identity, economic burden, distrust and frustration with authorities, resilience and adaptation. Using our findings, we adapted the Emergency Management Framework to show what activities could be integrated to support farmers' mental health needs before, during, and after a depopulation event.

Conclusion: Farm animal diseases threaten the livelihoods and well-being of farmers as well as pose a significant threat to Canada's food security and national economy. Our findings indicate farmers who experience livestock diseases and depopulation may be at risk for poor mental health. Implications for education and training, as well as changes to policy to support the mental health and well-being of farmers is discussed.

The purpose of this study is to present the development of an intergroup dialogue curriculum for faith leaders and behavioral health providers to expand rural behavioral health care systems. The Clergy Outreach and Professional Engagement model and intergroup dialogue technique formed the basis of the curriculum. A discussion of the adaptation of an intergroup dialogue intervention developed for use in rural communities is presented. The curriculum was designed to build trust and familiarity among trusted faith leaders, behavioral health providers, and Extension agents to expand the system of care for vulnerable farming populations. Challenges and opportunities regarding the implementation of the intergroup dialogue intervention are explored. Assessing the feasibility of scaling this approach up to other communities has the potential to improve the network providing behavioral health care in rural communities.

Objectives: Manure gases are deadly agricultural hazards that recently caused the deaths of two manure haulers and rural firefighters in New York in June 2024. This study had two objectives: 1) survey fire departments to learn about their use and promotion of four gas monitors in rural communities; 2) assess the Four Gas Monitor Program, a gas monitor distribution program in rural Wisconsin that targets first responders, to learn whether it is having an impact on rural community emergency preparedness.

Methods: A rapid, survey-based study was conducted in July 2024. The survey was distributed to the 81 fire departments that had members attend an Agriculture Rescue Training event, including 31 departments that had received gas monitors as a part of the Four Gas Monitor Program. The survey included questions about gas monitor use and promotion by the fire departments.

Results: Seventeen different departments responded to the survey. It was found that 16 of the 17 departments had four gas monitors, and 10 departments had received monitors from the Four Gas Monitor Program. Additionally, 13 departments informed their communities about the monitors, 3 used the monitors with farmers, and 15 departments had used monitors during an emergency response.

Conclusion: The study findings show that the Four Gas Monitor Program has successfully placed gas monitors into the hands of rural first responders, particularly in Central Wisconsin. The outcome of the Four Gas Monitor Program shows the potential for positively shaping the agricultural health and safety landscape through sustained work with first responders.