Journal of Agromedicine最新文献

Background: Brucellosis is a significant zoonotic disease that may act as a potential occupational health hazard for animal handlers, including animal healthcare professionals. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of brucellosis in animal handlers of district Khanewal, Pakistan.

Methods: A total of 241 animal handlers (including butchers, animal-attendants/farmers, and veterinary assistants) were approached for inclusion in this study. However, 184 sera samples of animal handlers who gave consents to participate in this study were collected and screened for brucellosis by slide agglutination test (SAT) and commercially available iELISA kit (sensitivity = 96%, specificity = 99%). A total of 11 variables were statistically analyzed by bivariate and multivariate analyses to determine their association with brucellosis, and differences were considered significant at p-value < .05.

Results: Results of SAT showed a seropositivity rate of 4.89% for anti-Brucella (B.) abortus antibodies and 6.52% for anti-B. melitensis antibodies. The co-existence of antibodies to both Brucella species in analyzed sera samples was 1.09%. All the sera-samples were also analyzed by iELISA, and results revealed an overall seroprevalence rate of 9.78% for anti-Brucella IgM antibodies. Statistical analysis revealed that gender (OR = 1.5; 95%OR = 0.135-18.54), occupation (OR = 0.163; 95%OR = 0.215-0.791), body mass index (OR = 9.3; 95%OR = 2.11-45.01), and consumption of unpasteurized milk (OR = 7.48; 95%OR = 2.23-28.94) were significantly associated (p-value < .05) with seroprevalence of brucellosis among animal handlers. Whereas some risk factors such as age, marital-status, consumption of semi/undercooked meat, educational status, and lack of awareness regarding brucellosis did not show any significant association (p-value > .05).

Conclusion: The study concluded that brucellosis is prevalent in animal handlers of the study area. Findings of this study underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions, such as regular health screenings, improved occupational health policies, and better hygiene practices while dealing with animals. These findings also demand stronger public health policies, particularly in developing regions, to avoid brucellosis and improve overall occupational health standards.

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, preventive practices, and perceived difficulties of adolescent children of seasonal agricultural worker families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out with 366 adolescents. After obtaining the necessary permissions, the data were collected with questionnaires prepared by the researchers and a perceived healthy lifestyle difficulty scale (score range 10-and-50). Descriptive statistical analyses and regression analysis were used to evaluate the data.

Results: The majority of the participants knew the transmission route and symptoms of the COVID-19 disease. Only 17.8% of adolescents were paying attention to the social distancing rule, and the majority of adolescents didn't wear masks in the settlements. In this sample, 41.3% of adolescents were washing their hands on average twice a day. Adolescents perceived difficulties regarding personal hygiene, accessing protective equipment, information sources, and health services. The adolescents scored low (20.45 ± 2.62) on perceived healthy lifestyle difficulty scale which is associated with to the increased perceived difficulty in a healthy lifestyle.

Conclusion: Although adolescents had knowledge regarding COVID-19 disease, their rate of performing the preventive measures was low. Specific action plans, guidelines, and policies should be developed and implemented to enhance reported health-related behaviors and mitigate the spread of infection, particularly among disadvantaged adolescents.

Introduction: Pesticides are recognized endocrine disruptors that may influence breast cancer risk and progression, yet their impact on disease characteristics according to menopausal status remains unclear, particularly in rural populations with high exposure levels. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of pesticide exposure on the clinicopathological profile of breast cancer among rural women, with a focus on differences between premenopausal and menopausal patients.

Methods: A cohort of 189 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at a cancer hospital in southwestern Paraná State, Brazil, was retrospectively analyzed. Pesticide exposure was determined through a validated questionnaire, classifying women as exposed or unexposed. Menopausal status was recorded from medical charts and categorized as premenopausal or menopausal. Clinicopathological features were compared across groups.

Results: Pesticide-exposed premenopausal patients presented more cases of low histological grade tumors than unexposed women did (46.28% vs 23.14%, respectively, p = .0081). Additionally, more exposed patients had angiolymphatic emboli (15.22% to unexposed and 47.83% to exposed, p = .0170). Patients exposed at menopause had more tumors without estrogen receptor expression (13.16% unexposed and 28.95% exposed, p = .022) and a lower ki67 index (23.08%) than unexposed patients (6.15%, p = .0055), with a prevalence of tumors larger than 2 cm (11.82% unexposed and 21.82% exposed, p = .0481). A multivariable regression analysis was performed and showed both age (β = 0.03698, 95% CI: -1.013 to 1.108) and BMI (β = 0.1293, 95% CI: -0.5552 to 0.8120) had no significant effects. Conclusion: These findings suggest that chronic pesticide exposure during critical windows of breast development may alter disease presentation according to menopausal status. Given the high pesticide burden in a rural cohort, it is important to consider environmental exposures in breast cancer prognosis, especially among vulnerable populations.

Purpose: Farmers and rural residents face serious mental health risks due to occupational hazards, stress, and limited access to mental health services. In response, researchers launched and evaluated the BARN (Bringing Awareness Right Now) Farmer Dinner Theater, an innovative program aimed at addressing mental health challenges and preventing suicide in rural counties of Kentucky. BARN combines community engagement, performance arts, and evidence-based strategies to not only raise awareness but to take action to promote positive behavioral intentions regarding mental health issues and suicide prevention.

Methods: BARN featured a two-day youth camp focused on education and skills related to mental health and well-being, stress management, and suicide prevention. Youth camp participants created culturally relevant dinner theater scripts that included mental health themes, culminating in a performance of their work. To evaluate the program's impact, we used a quasi-experimental design with a retrospective pre-post survey. At the end of the camp and dinner theater, participants completed a survey asking them to rate their knowledge and behaviors as they remembered them before and after the program.

Results: Fifteen youth participated in the camp, and 106 community members attended the dinner theater. Improvements among participants were observed across several survey items, including understanding mental health challenges, recognizing stress, and adopting self-care and coping strategies. Dinner theater participants consequently reported an increased intent to practice self-care and engage in suicide prevention behaviors. Feedback from the dinner theater underscored the importance of addressing mental health and suicide collaboratively while emphasizing the need for open dialogue and support in the community.

Conclusion: The BARN Farmer Dinner Theater program was designed to address mental health challenges and suicide prevention in rural communities by fostering participatory and culturally sensitive discussions. The program approach empowered participants to see mental health as a community responsibility, reducing stigma. The program's design aligns with findings highlighting the importance of interactive, culturally tailored interventions in rural settings. The study supports expanding the BARN program with trusted organizations like Cooperative Extension Services as facilitators. Future research should evaluate long-term outcomes, including behavioral change and community resilience, to improve the program's impact and sustainability.

Objectives: Cattle feedyard workers are at high risk of heat stress and illness due to being outdoors for long hours in high heat and humidity. Wearable technology has the potential to provide a warning system so that at-risk workers can take a break, move into a shaded area, and hydrate before heat illness results in lost work time.

Methods: The MākuSafe wearable device was used to monitor heat warnings in 15 cattle feedyard workers. We collected environmental temperatures and heat warnings from wearable devices at a single feedyard from June 1 through September 30, 2023. We assessed the number of heat warnings and the maximum temperature where they were most likely to occur using segmented logistic regression to model the nonlinear relationship between temperature and heat warning and to understand the threshold at which heat warnings occurred. The Pseudo Score Test was used to assess for a changepoint in the logistic regression model with temperature predicting a heat warning for the number of days the wearable device was used in 15 workers.

Results: The Pseudo Score Test identified a single statistically significant changepoint (p < .0001). The Davies test confirmed the result and estimated the change at 78°F. The covariates worker role or hours worked that day were not significantly associated with the probability of a heat warning.

Conclusion: These findings revealed that the probability of a heath warning occurring at a relatively low temperature of 78°F, which can aid workplace management with heat stress management and preparedness to protect worker health.

Objectives: Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in the United States, especially for children. Despite considerable efforts to develop and implement interventions that protect children, the burden of agricultural injury and disease remains a stubborn and multifaceted public health concern. This study examined the effects of repeated exposure to agricultural injury news on farm parents' risk perception and behavioral intentions for farm safety practices. The study also examined the roles of existing self- and response-efficacy in the effect of agricultural injury news consumption on behavioral intention.

Methods: In 2021 and 2022, the study team conducted a field experiment where farm parents were randomly assigned to an intervention group (reading weekly child agricultural injury news articles for 4 weeks) and a control group (reading weekly non-injury "farm life" articles for 4 weeks). Participants completed online pre- and post-test surveys before and after intervention. The PROCESS model was employed to test research hypotheses, and 162 participants were included in the analyses.

Results: The results showed that repeated exposure to agricultural injury news increased farm parents' perceived severity of agricultural incidents; in turn, perceived severity enhanced their behavioral intention to adopt agricultural safety practices. The partial moderated mediation analysis shows that the indirect effect of perceived severity between repeated news exposure and behavioral intention to adopt farm safety practices were not dependent on farm parents' levels of self- and response-efficacy.

Conclusion: These results imply that agricultural injury news consumption could be a viable intervention to reduce U.S. childhood agricultural injury and fatality. Findings may also lead to additional lines of research, including similar testing with different groups of agricultural stakeholders, expansion to adults, and safety intervention research for other industries.

Introduction: Identifying and utilizing valid and reliable farm safety leading indicators will help to ensure farmers' well-being, safety and personal health, as well as the sustainability and the productivity of agricultural operations. This paper aimed to summarise the literature on valid and reliable safety indicators, focused on leading (preventive) metrics, for farmers' health and safety.

Methods: All studies on the agricultural population with objective and measurable leading indicators for farmers' health and safety were included. Systematic reviews and original quantitative research studies were included. Five databases were searched: Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Informit and Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers then conducted the full-text screening in Covidence. An analysis was performed to identify and summarise agricultural safety indicators.

Results: Four studies were included in the review with a total of 71 leading indicators focused on dairy (n = 2), poultry (n = 1) and aquaculture (n = 1). Two studies reported the same set of indicators. Two studies reported content and face validity but no further assessments of validity. None of the studies reported reliability assessments. Two studies found evidence of association between injury and illness and the lead indicators reported.

Discussion: Further studies focusing on leading indicators for agriculture are required and need to have robust reporting on their validity and reliability to guarantee research quality and efficacy. It is recommended to have a set of leading indicators for agriculture, noting that there should be a manageable number. This study provides valuable insights and serves as a foundation for future research and guidance.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to pesticide use among women, and to study the association between these variables, education and work experience in large horticultural farms in rural areas of northern Tanzania.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 171 women farmers, using a validated KAP model questionnaire, including socio-demographic information and farm practices.

Results: Pesticide knowledge among 133 (77.8%) women farmers was poor. Of the participants, 68% showed concern about pesticide use and adverse effects on human health, and 49.7% reported poor to moderate practices. Farmers with higher education had better knowledge and practice scores. There was a positive partial correlation between knowledge scores and years of work experience (r = 0.202, p = .023) and a positive partial correlation between practice and attitude scores (r = 0.213, p = .005), when controlling for age.

Conclusion: While knowledge levels about pesticides were low among women farm workers, attitudes and practices related to pesticide use were higher. More studies are needed to determine the level of training needed among these workers. This information can aid employers and local government officials in work for reducing pesticide intoxication among women working in horticultural farms, through education, motivation, and support.