Journal of Agromedicine最新文献

With demographic trends highlighting an inversion of the farming community age pyramid, with those aged 65 years and over constituting the fastest growing subgroup of the farming population globally, this article highlights a social initiative for older farmers called Farmer's Yards, embodying values, and aspirations pertinent to farmers in their later years, that is helping to create an age-friendly environment in farming in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. By providing older farmers with a platform for sustained social engagement and inclusion within the farming community, this social initiative aligns with principles promoting active and healthy aging, thereby contributing positively to their mental health and wellbeing in later life. In doing so, Farmer's Yards is helping to address recent calls by the European Commission for an increased emphasis on the delivery of creative mechanisms that enhance the quality of life of older farmers through social policy. The pilot phase of this social initiative outlined in this article, held in a Livestock Mart (Auction Market) setting in the west of Ireland, demonstrates how Farmer's Yards can strengthen Mart's long-standing position and reputation as centres of social activity within rural areas by helping older farmers maintain legitimate social connectedness, collegiality, and comradeship with their peers in advancing age in their respective regions, and in turn, combat social isolation and loneliness in later life. Recommendations for future research and on the expansion of Farmer's Yards are subsequently outlined.

Objectives: The objective of the current study is to describe mental health among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people who work in agriculture in the U.S.

Methods: This study uses a survey of LGBTQ+ adults who work in agriculture in the U.S. (N = 148), including questions about LGBTQ+ identity, farming background, depression symptoms (PHQ-8) and diagnosis, anxiety symptoms (GAD-7) and diagnosis, suicide risk, and stress. Data were analyzed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: Over one-third (36.1%) had probable depression (PHQ-8 ≥ 10), and 71.9% were experiencing mild to severe depression symptoms. Nearly half (46.2%) had probable anxiety disorder (GAD-7 ≥ 8), and 69.7% experienced mild to severe anxiety symptoms. Over half (51.7%) were at significant risk for suicide. Greater proportions of men had probable anxiety disorder, probable depression, and suicide risk compared to non-men. Greater proportions gay participants had probable depression, as did beef producers. Perceived stress was higher for men, lesbian and gay participants, transgender participants, and those in beef production. Resilient coping was highest among participants who were genderqueer or genderfluid, bisexual, and those in field crop production.

Conclusion: LGBTQ+ farmers in the current sample experienced depression and anxiety at higher rates than general farming or general LGBTQ+ samples, although suicide risk was lower than for general LGBTQ+ samples. Future research should explore how working in agriculture may be protective against suicide risk for LGBTQ+ farmers, as well as how specific farm stressors are related to LGBTQ+ farmer mental health.

Objectives: In this study, the project team was interested in learning from Wisconsin farmers and farm families about: (1) the unique stressors farmers face, (2) the barriers that exist for farmers to seek help for mental and physical health, and (3) coping strategies that could be implemented to help farm families cope with stress.

Methods: The project team collected qualitative data utilizing standardized questions during three focus groups held via Zoom. The 10 participants were from various Wisconsin farm enterprises including dairy, beef, and produce farms. Data were coded into five codes: stressors, farmers as a unique subculture, barriers to seeking help, coping strategies, and strategies for addressing barriers to seeking help.

Results: Participants emphasized the need for healthcare professionals to better understand farming is more than a job; it is their life. The top stressor was time pressure and the top barrier to seeking care was workload, which make it challenging to get off the farm. Stigma and self-reliance are additional barriers in the farming community. Participants offered strategies to address these barriers, including learning how to effectively communicate with farmers and raising awareness of mental health issues in rural communities.

Conclusion: The insights from this study can inform rural healthcare professionals on strategies to better support the mental and physical well-being of farmers and their families in Wisconsin and rural communities in the United States.

Objectives: This study examined the factors affecting the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among US agriculture producers, specifically focusing on chemical, respiratory, and hearing protection. The primary goals were to identify demographic and farm-related factors linked to lower PPE usage and to explore the associations between PPE use and self-reported injuries or diseases in this occupational context.

Methods: We developed generalized multilevel multinomial logistic regressions for the agricultural safety and health survey data from 2018 and 2020. Our models aimed to explore associations between PPE use, covariates, and their impact on skin diseases, hearing loss, and respiratory diseases. The hierarchical structure of the data was accommodated by designating the survey year as the level-3 variable and the state of residence as the level-2 variable, further delineating the nested structure of the respondents. We proposed using Adaptive Quadrature methods to approximate marginal maximum likelihood function, along with Gauss-Hermite quadrature weights when estimating fixed-effects and random effects in the proposed models. Missing data in this hierarchical structure were addressed through a multiple imputation method.

Results: Our findings revealed older age is associated with lower PPE usage across all types. Males exhibited higher PPE use, particularly for chemical (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.47) and respiratory protection (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.52). Producers on grain-only farms showed increased chemical PPE use (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.43) compared to those on livestock-only farms. Additionally, individuals spending 0%-24% of their worktime on the farm/ranch demonstrated lower PPE use than those who spent more time engaged in farm-related activities.

Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of addressing low PPE usage among agriculture producers. Interventions tailored to specific groups, such as female producers, livestock-only farms, older-aged producers, and part-time producers, can effectively improve PPE use. By identifying these high-risk groups, interventions can be better adapted and targeted to enhance the adoption of PPE, subsequently reducing the risk of health hazards in the agriculture sector.

Objectives: Health and well-being have long been identified as key issues for investigation within agricultural communities. While myriad studies have been conducted to investigate causation, impact, outcomes and interventions among farming populations, the overall emphasis has been disproportionately weighted away from the experiences of women. This systematic scoping review determines the prevalence of topics, identifies the target populations and geographical locations of studies, outlines methodological approaches to the subject area, and summarizes the key findings and conclusions of the available literature.

Methods: With the guidance of the Arksey and O'Malley framework for conducting a scoping review, a single database search for publications focusing on the health and well-being of women in farming (including primary farmers, members of farm households, and farmworkers), in the Global North, published between 1990 and 2023, was conducted. Data were organized, thematically coded, critically appraised and analyzed using the systematic review online tool CADIMA.

Results: In total, 93 studies met the inclusion criteria for full review. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States, with the number of publications steadily increasing since the 1990s. Of studies, 68% were wholly quantitative in nature, and 23% wholly qualitative. Key findings suggest women are at particular risk from certain illnesses associated with some aspects of agricultural work and face a number of stressors (including gender-specific issues) that can lower well-being, but evidence is scarce in a number of areas. Clear gaps in research exist in relation to reproductive health, caring responsibilities, or help-seeking and support. Women primary farmer and farmworkers are particularly neglected as study cohorts.

Conclusion: Numbers of studies related to the health and well-being of women in farming are still relatively small in comparison with the wider body of related literature, and there exists an obvious need for further studies with a specific emphasis on particular cohorts, issues pertaining to the contemporary climate, and issues specific to women, as well as greater geographical reach. By emphasizing such research gaps, opportunities exist to improve the health and well-being situation of women in agriculture through more explicit studies with the intention of developing more effective, targeted solutions.

Objective: Migrant farmworkers are at an increased risk of experiencing high levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and problematic substance use. Farmworker behavioral health is a predominant concern for agricultural health and safety efforts. While substance use has been found to be a visible part of the work environment among farming populations, there is scarce information about how farmworkers who are exposed to substance use at work are impacted.

Methods: This exploratory assessment investigated the association between substance use exposure at work and migrant farmworkers' (N = 58) symptoms of depression, anxiety, and coping strategies used. Univariate, bivariate, and regression analyses were conducted to examine data from a survey administered to migrant farmworkers in Southern California's Riverside and Imperial Valley counties.

Results: Exposure to substance use at work was significantly associated with farmworkers reporting more severe symptoms of anxiety (p = .018). We also found that anxiety among farmworkers was significantly related to their experiences of sexual harassment (p = .026), being called names or insulted (p = .05), feeling unsafe (p = .005), having an increased work burden (p = .001), and caring for a colleague (p = .001). Furthermore, as exposure to substance use at work increased, farmworkers reported more severe symptoms of depression (F (1,45) = 7.90, p = .007) and anxiety (F (1,45) = 16.743, p = .001). To cope, the farmworkers in our sample reported using emotion-focused coping strategies most often.

Conclusions: Substance use exposure at work can affect migrant farmworker health and safety. Addressing and supporting the behavioral health of the entire farming community is warranted.

Background and objectives: Rubber tapping is a physically demanding and skilled agricultural operation that can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This research investigated the impact of using an ergonomically modified rubber tapping knife on the hand posture of rubber tappers.

Methods: Initially, a postural assessment was conducted using CATIA V6 modelling software followed by a non-randomized longitudinal study with 32 rubber tappers. In the second phase, the study used a custom-modified Standard Nordic Questionnaire, video recordings, and direct observations. The study compared the results of the ergonomically modified rubber tapping knife with the traditional tapping knife, evaluating hand grip strength, endurance time chip thickness, time required to complete 300 trees, and posture using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool.

Results: Compared to pre-tapping values, the mean reduction in grip strength after tapping was significantly less with the modified rubber tapping knife than with the traditional tapping knife (2.96 kg, SD 0.85 kg vs 7.31 kg SD 2.13 kg). Similarly, the reduction in hand endurance time was less with the modified knife than with the traditional knife (1.78 seconds, SD 0.47 seconds vs 3.34 seconds, SD 0.87 seconds). The study also indicated that the modified knife did not significantly affect chip thickness. Additionally, a slight increasing in tapping time was observed with the ergonomically modified knife, which may be attributed to a learning curve phenomenon. This suggests that as rubber tappers become more accustomed to the new tool, their efficiency may improve over time.

Conclusion: The hand grip strength and endurance time was significantly lower with the ergonomically modified tapping knife. The study concluded that using an ergonomically modified tapping knife led to a significant improvement in hand posture among rubber tappers.

Objectives: Farmers in the United States (U.S.) are exposed to myriad stressors and experience their negative effects, including higher rates of suicide than individuals in some other occupations. However, interventions to address mental health amongst farmers have faced barriers, such as farmers' perceived stigma regarding mental health, time constraints, and geographical isolation. Using text-messaging for intervention delivery may help to address some barriers, as text messages are private, delivered directly to one's phone, and require no travel. Our objective was to develop and assess the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a text-messaging mental health literacy intervention tailored to U.S. farmers: Growing Resiliency in Tough Times (GRITT).

Methods: U.S. farmers (N = 134) were randomly assigned to an intervention group, who received 12 weeks of text messages regarding mental health literacy, or a control group, who received no treatment. Online pre-test and post-test surveys assessed mental health knowledge, familiarity with relevant mental health resources, self-efficacy to manage stress, and perceived stress. Feasibility was assessed via recruitment and retention data, and intervention group participants completed post-test measures to assess acceptability.

Results: Results indicate that intervention group participants were highly satisfied with the intervention and had higher post-test scores on multiple facets of mental health literacy and self-efficacy to manage farm stress than control group participants. The intervention group experienced a significant drop in perceived stress from pre-test to post-test. Participant retention was relatively high (84%). However, recruitment difficulties call into question intervention feasibility.

Conclusion: Though the intervention was efficacious in enhancing mental health literacy, improving stress management self-efficacy, and reducing stress, difficulties with participant recruitment indicate the need for continued intervention research in this context.

The agriculture industry lacks novel techniques for analyzing risks facing its workers. Although injuries are common in this field, existing datasets and tools are insufficient for risk assessment and mitigation for two primary reasons: they provide neither immediate nor long-term risk mitigation advice, and they do not account for hazards which fluctuate daily. The purpose of Demeter is to collect safety data about hazards on farms and produce risk analysis and mitigation reports. This application uses a combination of formula-based risk calculations and state-of-the-art graph neural networks (GNNs) to perform risk analysis and reduction. The formula-based risk calculations had a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.2110, and the GNN had an accuracy of 94.9%, a precision of 0.3521, and a recall of 0.8333. Demeter has the potential to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities among agriculture workers by alerting them to risks present in their daily workflow and suggesting safety precautions.

Objective: In this combined study, the efficacy of different educational methods in enhancing students' agricultural biosecurity knowledge, which is vital for public health, food security, and agricultural safety, was assessed.

Methods: In-person and virtual learning methods, utilizing educational content developed for the Gearing Up for Safety program, were investigated with 692 total participants. In the in-person learning method, 459 students aged 12-20 received a 50-minute in-person training session using the Gearing Up for Safety lesson on agricultural biosecurity. A 20 question pre- and post-test gauged knowledge gain. In the virtual learning method, 223 students, aged 12-20 received two, 40-minute virtual training sessions using the same content.

Results: Results of knowledge gain from the in-person method improved significantly from 55% to 77% (t(458) = -22.37, P < .001). Chi-squared analysis showed 19 out of the 20 questions significantly contributed to learning. Results of knowledge gain from the virtual method also showed a notable knowledge gain increase from 53% to 66% (t(222) = -11.86,  P< .001). However, a chi-squared analysis revealed that only 10 of the 20 questions significantly contributed to learning. In-person learning effectively supported better understanding of general biosecurity.

Conclusions: Virtual education improved general understanding but required enhanced focus on topics like vaccination, pest management, and community biosecurity preparation for comprehensive knowledge. Both in-person and virtual learning resulted in an increase in agricultural biosecurity knowledge, with in-person learning exhibiting a higher proportion of significant knowledge gains. These findings emphasize the importance of diverse educational methods in preparing future agricultural workers to ensure safety and health in agricultural settings. Results were used to enhance the curricula content being made available as part of the Gearing Up for Safety program for young and beginning workers.