Journal of Agromedicine最新文献

Objectives: The study aimed to develop a comprehensive and psychometrically validated subjective usability evaluation system tailored for arm- and leg-support exoskeletons used in labor-intensive agricultural tasks. Existing assessment methods often overlook user-centric factors, limiting the broader adoption of exoskeleton technologies in real-world settings.

Methods: Experiments were conducted using arm- and leg-support exoskeleton types across multiple agricultural tasks. A total of 68 participants took part in three different experimental settings. Subjective usability data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to identify underlying usability dimensions. Retrospective item refinement was conducted to enhance the validity and reliability of the evaluation system.

Results: Four key usability factors were identified: effectiveness, wearability, safety, and learnability, each demonstrating high internal consistency. Based on these factors, a final 24-item usability questionnaire was developed. The system captures both practical and ergonomic considerations relevant to agricultural exoskeleton use.

Conclusion: The proposed evaluation system addresses the limitations of conventional exoskeleton assessments by incorporating subjective usability dimensions. It provides a reliable, user-centered framework that can be widely applied to improve exoskeleton design, enhance user experience, and support successful deployment in agricultural environments.

Engaging target populations and obtaining reliable research data has become increasingly difficult. Traditional randomized control trial (RCT) approaches, though useful in establishing sound knowledge and identifying effective interventions, can also be counterproductive. This brief provides examples from past research initiatives in which RCT approaches were ineffective and supplemented with alternate recruitment and engagement strategies. In its conclusion, we propose methods for broadening our research approaches to better serve the populations we work with: farmers, commercial fishermen, and loggers. Further, we invite others to join this conversation.

Objectives: Farmers and their families are at risk of loneliness due to frequent solitary working, geographical isolation, and narrow social networks. These circumstances compromise the mental well-being of farming communities, highlighting the need for a better understanding of protective psychological factors. Resilience may serve as a pathway between the negative effects of loneliness and mental well-being; however, evidence of its role in agricultural populations is scarce. This study considers whether resilience mediates the relationship between loneliness and mental well-being in the UK farming community.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey collected data from 320 members of the UK farming community (39.4% males; 59.4% females, 1.2% prefer not to say; Median age = 43.1 years). The convenience sample was collected through online and paper surveys and promoted via social media, farming groups, auction marts, and agricultural organizations. Participants completed the Brief Resilience Scale, Loneliness RULS-6 scale, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (Short).

Results: Over half of participants (54.5%) scored within a range for mental well-being consistent with possible mild or probable clinical depression. Higher loneliness was associated with lower resilience and mental well-being, whilst higher resilience was related to higher mental well-being. A regression-based mediation analysis with 1,000 bootstrap samples (without covariates) revealed that resilience partially mediates the relationship between loneliness and mental well-being in farming community members.

Conclusion: This study provides vital evidence of the mediating role that resilience plays in the relationship between loneliness and mental well-being in UK farming community members. Our findings emphasize the importance of resilience-building as a key mechanism to support the well-documented mental well-being challenges faced by people in farming communities. These findings add to the limited but growing body of evidence that supports the development of targeted interventions that integrate both resilience-building and loneliness reduction as a comprehensive support package. Our study demonstrates that addressing these factors in tandem is essential for improving the mental well-being of UK farming communities, ensuring people receive the necessary tools and resources to foster strength and connection.

Objectives: This pilot study aimed to: 1) quantify the usage of "accident" and related terms in media articles describing agricultural injuries and fatalities involving children; and 2) assess journalists' reactions to a suggested terminology shift from "accident" to "incident" in recent U.S. news media reports about youth agricultural injuries.

Methods: United States (U.S.) news reports covering agricultural injury events were obtained from the AgInjuryNews.org dataset. Quantitative text analysis was performed to identify news articles that mentioned "accident" or related terms (e.g., "accidental," "accidentally") in their title or narrative. Chi-square tests, post-hoc procedures, and univariate logistic regression were used to determine whether and to what extent "accident" and related terms were used to describe youth agricultural injuries. To assess journalists' reactions to using "incident" instead of "accident" when describing youth agricultural injuries, a one-question survey was emailed to authors of news reports. Qualifying articles in the AgInjuryNews.org database were from June 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, describing an agricultural injury involving victims under the age of 18 and featuring "accident" or its variations. Responses were coded based on sentiment.

Results: A total of 3,675 U.S. media reports were included in the quantitative text analysis for aim 1. "Accident" or related terms were used in 66% of the articles about youth agricultural injuries, compared to only 53% for reports about adult agricultural injuries. Agricultural injury events involving youth were more likely to be described using "Accident" or derived terms in U.S. news media than incidents involving adults (odds ratio: 1.73). For the second aim, 31 articles met the inclusion criteria for the journalists' survey. The survey response rate was 39% (n = 12). Of the 12 journalists who responded, 1 disagreed with the proposed terminology shift, 5 were neutral, and 6 were in agreement.

Conclusion: The findings from the quantitative text analysis and survey results support the need for additional research and provide evidence to support efforts to create lasting change in the way youth agricultural injury and fatality events are reported by U.S. news media.

Objectives: Globally, suicide is presented as a significant concern within agricultural communities. However, there is little information on farmer suicide in the Republic of Ireland to guide the development of suicide prevention interventions. To address this gap, the present study used coronial data to determine whether males identified as "farmers" or "agricultural workers" (combined to form a single group named "farmers") have higher suicide incidence rates than non-farmers. It also examined the characteristics that differentiate suicide among male farmers from male non-farmer suicides with the overall objective of examining whether coronial data can improve our understanding.

Methods: The Irish Probable Suicide Deaths Study (IPSDS) 2015-2018 data were used. The IPSDS cohort (n = 2,349) comprises all coroner-determined suicides and research-determined suicides (i.e. on the balance of probabilities) in the Republic of Ireland. Male farmers were compared with an age- and sex-matched control group (i.e. all other males 15-years and over in the dataset; non-farmers). Age-specific suicide incidence rates were calculated using the 2016 census population estimates. Descriptive statistics examined the relationships between farmers' and non-farmers' sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, and circumstances of death.

Results: Male farmers accounted for 8% of all male probable suicides in the Republic of Ireland between 2015-2018. While there was no significant rate difference in probable suicides among farmers (31.5 deaths per 100,000) compared to non-farmers (23.6 per 100,000; p = .09), the age-specific rate for farmers over 65-years (29.2 deaths per 100,000) was significantly different from same-age non-farmers (14.3 deaths per 100,000; p = .028). Analyses showed farmers were older, that a higher proportion of them were living with family/partner/children, and a lower proportion had a history of self-harm, drug dependency, and alcohol dependency.

Conclusion: The present findings may inform the development and implementation of supports aimed at recovery and prevention, such as augmenting access to means (e.g. firearm availability) or leveraging community-based interventions. Further research is needed to identify potential farming- and agricultural-related sub-populations at elevated risk of suicide, in addition to opportunities for intervention.

The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN) is a coalition of diverse individuals and organizations working together to safeguard children in agriculture. This study assessed CASN memberships' interests, priorities, and use of resources to help plan future activities and assess member engagement and satisfaction. We electronically surveyed 201 CASN members; 60 responded (29.85%). Respondents were asked about their affiliations, participation in agricultural associations, past and future level of engagement, agricultural safety interests, use of agricultural resources, and future activities of interest. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to understand heterogeneity in the CASN members based on their selected interests. Classes were then tested in logistic regression models to determine how they might differ based on how much of a problem they perceived injury in youth to be, their level of past and future engagement, and their years with CASN. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate effect sizes. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the patterns of use of resources by respondents. Frequencies were reported for use of resources and future interests. Two groups of CASN members were identified based on reported topics of interest. Specialists (58.9%) were focused on the use of motorized vehicles and roadways. The second group, Generalists (41.1%), had more diverse interests. The two groups differed on how seriously they viewed the problem of agricultural injury in youth (Generalist vs Specialist: OR = 6.27; 1.56, 25.2) and their interest in participating in future CASN activities (Generalist vs. Specialist: OR = 8.75; 1.76, 43.5). The use of 11 resources fell into two patterns. Nearly half of respondents reported current use of the Ag Youth Work Guidelines, Ag Injury News, and the Child Ag Injury Prevention Workshop. CASN is heterogeneous in their agricultural interests around youth safety and their use of resources. In planning future campaigns, it is important to meet the needs of both groups, with activities planned around ATV/UTV and roadway safety and keeping young children out of the worksite, as well as specific topics of concern such as manure ponds, skid steers, and agritourism.

Objective: Crop workers face increasingly hot working conditions. Wearing light-colored, single-layer breathable clothing and wide-brimmed hats, on top of having water, rest, and shade, can reduce the risk of heat illness among crop workers. Clothing preferences and limited access may prevent crop workers from wearing optimal work apparel. However, little is known about crop workers' workplace clothing preferences or their clothing acquisition barriers (e.g., access to retailers, cost). This qualitative study aimed to document Spanish-speaking crop workers' ideal work clothing and understand the primary barriers that prevent them from wearing clothing that reduces heat-related illness risk.

Methods: Four focus groups were conducted in Spanish on vegetable farms in Colorado during August and September 2023. Two researchers thematically analyzed qualitative focus group data.

Results: There were 54 Spanish-speaking crop workers who participated in focus groups during August and September 2023. Findings show participants know which work clothing options protect from heat-related illnesses. Participants purchased their work clothes primarily at second-hand stores. They preferred clothes made of light but durable materials and complete pieces that cover the head, neck, and trunk with long sleeves and pants that facilitate movement. Barriers to wearing worker-defined ideal clothing described include costs and the difficulty in finding the specific style of clothing at their preferred retail outlets. Participants described an interest in partnering with employers to purchase ideal clothing to prevent heat-related illness.

Conclusion: Spanish-speaking crop workers have a clear understanding of ideal work clothing and the link between clothing and heat illnesses prevention. However, based on thematic analysis of focus groups with crop workers in Colorado, cost and access to ideal clothing are the biggest barriers. Strategies that facilitate access to appropriate clothing for working in hot environments and involvement of employers in apparel choice are potential methods to promote worker safety and reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses among agricultural farmworkers.

This project aimed to evaluate and address barriers for Spanish-speakers seeking pesticide applicator licensing in Oregon, including lack of language-appropriate educational resources. An interagency collaboration between the Hood River Soil & Water Conservation District, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon State University, and the Mid-Columbia orchard community, resulted in the first-of-its-kind Spanish language private pesticide applicator pilot training in Oregon. Participants (n = 40) took pesticide licensing examinations in Spanish for both Oregon and Washington immediately after a 2.5 day in-person training. Examinations contained questions based on pesticide labels in English, as testers must prove proficiency in reading and understanding labels. Surveys and interviews were used to evaluate this training. Collaborators identified several barriers to access at every stage of examination-preparation. Over half of the participants (56%) had 6+ years of experience working with pesticides, and 55% reported an educational attainment of 8th grade or less. All participants indicated the training being offered in Spanish was a very important reason for attending. Six testers passed the Washington licensing examination (15%); among that group, two passed the Oregon licensing examination (5%). Spanish-speaking workers face gaps in access from studying to testing for applicator licensing. Recent federal regulatory changes may prompt other states/municipalities to increase Spanish language access for pesticide applicators. The interstate, interagency nature of this collaboration has proven essential in addressing the wide range of unmet needs in Oregon. Low pass rates among participants, however, suggest a need to explore potential program improvements, additional supports, and/or policy changes.

Objectives: AgrAbility provides information, education, and services to agricultural workers with disabilities. There is a dearth of knowledge about the variability in the quality of life (QoL) domains associated with AgrAbility program involvement. This study examined QoL profiles at two time points with individuals seeking services related to QoL domains including physical, psychological, social, and existential well-being. The profiles were described based on demographic variables to understand who may be in these profiles.

Methods: The sample consisted of 1,358 farmers and ranchers with disabilities who completed the McGill Quality of Life (MQOL) survey before receiving AgrAbility services (time one), and 343 of whom completed a follow-up QoL survey after receiving AgrAbility services (time two). Latent profile analysis was employed to examine groupings of individuals on the variables of physical, psychological, existential, and social well-being. Descriptive analysis of profile membership and predictive models were used to understand the profiles and their relationship across time. Analyses were performed using Mplus version 8.11.

Results: Three QoL profiles were identified. The Low QoL profile had the most females, while the High QoL profile had the least. There were no significant relationships identified between sex, work status, and age, and profile membership. The High QoL profile was marked by high scores on QoL indicators of psychological, social, and existential well-being. The Low QoL had almost an opposite pattern. At time 2 assessment, individuals tended to move to a higher QoL profile. In general, the probability of moving to a lower profile was below 0.10.

Conclusions: Heterogeneity is present in QoL indicators among individuals who worked with their State AgrAbility Team to accomplish their goals. Profile movement supports the benefits of receiving AgrAbility services for increasing QoL. These profiles can be used to better understand the needs of individuals and the direct services to address those needs.

Immigrant workers constitute a major portion of farmworkers in the United States, and their number has been gradually increasing over the years. These workers are among the most vulnerable to occupational injury and illness because of constraints in communication, lack of medical insurance, cultural beliefs, and discriminatory practices. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health (Ag Centers) were established with the aim of reducing injuries and illnesses in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AgFF) sectors through research, education, and prevention projects. Diversity of populations served by these Ag Centers is identified as a challenge for assessing the impact of the centers. Employing sensitive lenses like culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) is critical in the evaluation of Ag Centers, because it captures cultural nuances that might have affected the implementation and/or outcome of the project. We conducted a scoping review of the literature in CRE to identify practical strategies for CRE implementation. We categorized the findings into four deductively formed groups about cultural competence: acknowledge the complexity of cultural identity, recognize the dynamics of power, recognize and eliminate bias in language, and employ culturally appropriate methods.