Journal of Agromedicine最新文献

Objective: Increased risk of occupational exposure to bioaerosols has long been recognized in livestock operations including dairy facilities. Spanning the inhalable fraction (0-100 μm), dairy bioaerosols comprise a wide variety of inflammatory components that deposit in the nasopharyngeal region. The resultant inflammatory response from bioaerosol exposure is likely driving the increased prevalence of respiratory disease observed in dairy workers. It is also thought the microbiome of the upper respiratory system may help mediate this inflammation. We investigated the viability of a low-cost hypertonic saline nasal rinse intervention in modulating inflammatory responses in bioaerosol exposed dairy workers and its impact on microbial diversity.

Methods: Pre- and post-shift nasal rinses were administered and collected alongside full shift inhalable personal breathing zone (PBZ) samples for each participant for up to 5 consecutive days. Treatment group participants (n = 23) received hypertonic saline rinses while control group participants (n = 22) received normotonic saline rinses. Particulate matter (PM) and endotoxin concentrations were quantified from PBZ samples using gravimetric and enzymatic analytical methods, respectively. Pre- and post-shift rinses were analyzed for pro- and anti-inflammatory markers and microbial diversity using a multiplex assay and 16S rRNA sequencing, respectively.

Results: PM and endotoxin concentrations were comparable between groups indicating similar exposures. Post-shift pro-inflammatory markers were significantly higher than pre-shift for IL-13 (p = .047), IL-1β (p < .001), IL-6 (p < .001), IL-8 (p < .001), and TNF-α (p = .024). There was no evidence of a difference in log concentrations between intervention group or day among any of the measured inflammatory markers. Anti-inflammatory IL-10 concentrations increased across the 5 sample days, independent of treatment group suggesting tonicity may not be driving the change. However, this result was not significant (p = .217). Nasal microbiome alpha (within sample) and beta (between sample) diversity metrics did not differ significantly between group or day demonstrating no adverse washout intervention effects.

Conclusion: This study provided encouraging results that warrant future research to further evaluate saline nasal rinses as a workplace intervention.

Objectives: This exploratory study aims to: 1) evaluate mental health stigma levels among agricultural youth directors, 2) examine the influence of professional characteristics on stigma, and 3) investigate the relationship between agricultural youth directors' stigma levels and their self-efficacy.

Methods: An online survey was administered from March to May 2022 to 642 agricultural youth directors in Illinois who work with youth aged 1-19. Directors' personal and perceived stigmas toward mental illness were measured using the Depression Stigma Scale. Directors' self-efficacy (perceived level of knowledge and confidence) across 19 mental health topics was measured using a 3-point Likert scale. Analyses were conducted by generating descriptive statistics and performing Mann-Whitney U tests on the data.

Results: The median personal depression stigma score was 7.57 (SD = 8.02). Our analyses identified significantly higher personal depression stigma scores among men, FFA advisors, agricultural educators, and those lacking personal experience with mental illness. A lack of self-efficacy correlated significantly with increased personal stigma.

Conclusions: This study underscores the critical need for targeted educational interventions to reduce stigma among agricultural youth directors and enchance mental health literacy. Anti-stigma and mental health literacy initiatives are essential for fostering a supportive environment that encourages open discussions about mental health issues with youth within the agricultural community.

The IFISH6 conference brought together researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss innovations and progress in protecting the safety and health of workers in the fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing industries. This brief provides an overview of the feedback that was received about this conference, ideas for enhancing the impact of IFISH7, and methods of continuing collaboration and innovation in between.

Objective: Work in seafood harvesting and processing has been associated with a range of occupational hazards and associated health problems. However, limited information exists regarding the occupational health risks among workers engaged in seaweed handling.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to map seaweed co-operatives (n = 45), assess working practices, and identify common work-related symptoms, occupational hazards, and interventions in seaweed farming sites (n = 24), across three regions of Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Results: Seaweed farming in Zanzibar primarily involves the cultivation of Eucheuma Spinosum, with the majority of workers being women. Common work-related symptoms identified include musculoskeletal symptoms, mainly affecting the wrist (87%), back (84%) and lower limbs (73%). Furthermore, a significant proportion of workers were reported to have skin problems (80%) as well as heat and asthma-related symptoms (51%). Walk-through hazard evaluations of work sites identified a range of occupational hazards, with ergonomic (58-68%), biological (50-63%) and chemical (55-65%) hazards obtaining higher scores across the three regions. Geospatial analysis revealed regional variations in occupational hazards and work-related symptom prevalence, with Unguja South having a statistically significant (p < .05) higher mean prevalence of skin symptoms (95%) and Mjini Magharibi region reporting a higher prevalence of lower limb pain (100%), back pain (100%), and heat-related symptoms (90%). Despite the high hazard scores, interventions were generally lacking across all regions.

Conclusion: Occupational health hazards and adverse health outcomes vary across seaweed farming and processing regions. Tailored interventions will be key to improving workplace health and safety of workers engaged in this sector.

Objectives: The level of greenhouse farmers' personal protection in pesticide use and the possibility of environmental protection through farmers' willingness to reduce chemical sprayings were assessed in Khuzestan Province, Iran.

Methods: A survey of 80 active greenhouse vegetable growers was carried out in 2021 with face-to-face interviews. Willingness to reduce chemical sprayings was examined with the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model.

Results: Several intoxication symptoms were reported, with the most common symptom of pesticide intoxication being dizziness. Farmers showed unsafe or rather unsafe use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during pesticide handling. The maximum use of PPE pertained to the use of mask, spray clothing, and long-sleeved shirts. On a scale from 1 (= totally disagree) to 5 (= totally agree), the respondents showed negative attitudes towards reducing chemical sprayings (mean = 2.30), rather low levels of subjective norms (mean = 2.67), and rather low levels of perceived behavioral control over reduction of chemical sprayings (mean = 2.76). The TPB variables accounted for 73% of the variance in farmers' behavioral intention. Overall, farmers' behavioral intention to reduce chemical sprayings was almost neutral.

Conclusion: Increasing knowledge of the adverse effects of pesticides on health is necessary to promote safety behavior of farmers in the greenhouse.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze how farmworkers are represented in stock photos available in commercial libraries for use in agricultural health and safety education materials.

Methods: We searched for images in five commercial stock photo libraries using the terms "farmworkers" and "women farmworkers" in April 2022. We used quantitative content analysis. We coded each image for containing a visible face, age, gender, skin tone, work activity, mechanization, presence of hazards, technology use, and protective equipment/clothing after establishing inter-coder reliability. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the available stock photos.

Results: We identified stock photos (n = 127) in three databases (Adobe Stock Images, Canva, and Getty Images). Two databases (Microsoft Office Image Library and Pixabay) had no relevant images at the time of the search. Only half of the photos analyzed contained a face. Light skin tones and young or middle-aged adults were more common. A majority of farming activities represented in photos were manual tasks (e.g., harvesting) with few depictions of equipment, hazards, and protective equipment/clothing.

Conclusions: Health and safety professionals tasked with developing materials for education in agricultural settings face a severe lack of imagery pertinent to the realistic conditions of farmworkers in the United States. In the databases we reviewed, photos displaying human faces, photos showing a range of skin tones and ages, and photos displaying an array of different farm hazards are likely not sufficient for material development. Health and safety professionals may benefit from sharing photos from their own work with other professionals and allocating resources for professional photo shoots in their material development projects.

Objective: The nutritional status of seasonal migrant agricultural workers is negatively affected by problems with working conditions, wages, accommodations, and living conditions. This study aimed to investigate the living conditions, dietary habits, and food consumption frequency of seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Turkey.

Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in July and August 2022 in the neighborhoods of Akçadağ district in Malatya Province, Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of 262 seasonal migrant agricultural workers aged 15 and over who came to the region for the apricot harvest. The data were obtained using the face-to-face interview technique via a two-part questionnaire including questions on socio-demographic characteristics, living conditions, dietary behaviors and food consumption frequency.

Results: The mean age of the seasonal migrant agricultural workers was 24.16 ± 0.75, and they worked 12.01 ± 0.10 hours per day on average. It was determined 74.8% of the workers had access to clean water, and 50.4% did not think they had an adequate and balanced diet. It was found only 57.3% of the workers had a normal body mass index, 80.2% never ate fish, 53.8% never ate red meat, and 67.2% never drank milk, while only 34.4% were able to eat seasonal vegetables.

Conclusion: The findings of the study show that seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Turkey do not have suitable conditions in terms of food and accommodations, and their working conditions, wages, and health conditions are inadequate. These deficiencies have a negative effect on workers' quality of life and health status.

Introduction: Few studies have explored the relationship between para-occupational exposure and risk perception in farmers' families. Women are indirectly involved in agricultural activities, even though their roles most of the time are hidden. Women's para-occupational exposure and risk perceptions are important to describe, since women have a key gender role in the family's health care and possibly in the impact of acting regarding pesticide safety education. Furthermore, in farmer families, the impact of para-occupational pesticide exposure on women's health has been neglected.

Aim: Analyze pesticide para-occupational exposure scenario, knowledge, and health risk perception among women living in a farmer community.

Methods: A mixed methodology was used. Two groups of women were identified to screen the exposure scenario: Women living in a farming family and women not living in a farming family. Data on para-occupational pesticide exposure and intradomicile practices were collected by questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to identify health risk perception and risk practices.

Results: We observed a complex pesticide exposure scenario. All women were potentially exposed to pesticides through several pathways. One-third of the participants lived near a farming family or in proximity to neighbors that used pesticides at home, and one of every three women referred to spending time in a farmer's home. Among the group of women in a farming family (n = 18) stored pesticides inside the home was common; having the "safety practice" of storing pesticides in high places to avoid children being exposed. Women not living in farmimg families (n = 11) felt overexposed due to living in an agricultural community and agricultural drift exposure. Women from this group also mentioned feeling fear of developing cancerous diseases as well as fertility problems.

Conclusions: Knowledge and risk perception of pesticide exposure are similar between groups; however, women living in farming families were less willing to attend preventive health check-ups or educational programs than women not living in a farming family.

Objective: This study identified rural community experiences and preferences related to available resources and their effects on stress following tornadoes and floods.

Methods: The Rural Natural Disaster Stress and Recovery survey was distributed from December 2021 to February 2022 in rural disaster-affected communities. Within the analysis sample (N = 159) of self-selected participants representing both agricultural and non-agricultural occupations, 125 responded to the Resource Use and Effect survey component that evaluated the effects of 22 resources on post-disaster stress. Additional qualitative questions provided further data.

Results: The most frequently used resources post-disaster were found to be talking about the event (98.3%), friends and neighbors (97.6%) and family (97.6%). Using a derived Impact per Use score, groups from the neighboring community and personal faith activities most often reduced stress. Resources that increased stress were identified as FEMA or other government organizations; repairing, replacing, or rebuilding property; and following news or social media. Participants reported help from their community (35.8%) or things they did for themselves (31.2%) most effectively decreased disaster stress. Family, friends, faith, neighbors, and community were top choices to decrease stress in a future disaster.

Conclusion: Rural residents identified available resources for reducing disaster stress, but some common post-disaster activities were found to increase stress. Rural emergency management should adapt response and recovery plans and activities to leverage readily accessible people, groups, and activities to mitigate negative mental and emotional health effects.

Objective: Quad bikes are a leading cause of death and incident-related injury on farms, yet little is understood about rules used by farmers to ensure their safe operation. This study explored rules about quad bikes set by those who live or work on farms. Through the case of quad bikes, this study sought to understand how rules are determined and implemented at the farm level.

Setting: A mix of farm types and locations in rural Australia including Queensland, South Australia, and New South Wales.

Participants: Eight farmers were interviewed and recruited from information sheets at farmers' markets, through a local health organisation, and a media release.

Design: Thematic analysis was used to transform data from eight semi-structured interviews with farmers in rural Australia.

Results: Data were distilled into two themes - "Rule content" described the explicit rules farmers had set on their properties, while the theme "Underlying rule principles" explored the values and norms which underpinned the creation and implementation of these rules.

Conclusions: Through the case of quad bike rules, this study illustrated how rules are determined and implemented at the farm level. Perceptions of risk were tied to farmers being experts in their own environment and therefore able to mitigate risk. In contrast to injury data, reckless use of quad bikes was perceived to cause incidents, and this was the basis of rules for adults and children.