Prevalence and associated factors of health problems among Indonesian farmers

Objective

This study examined the prevalence of health problems and their associated factors among Indonesian farmers.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 179 farmers who completed a self-administered questionnaire and physical examination. The data were analyzed using descriptive, comparative, and multinomial logistic regression analyses.

Results

The prevalence of varying health problems was 28.5% underweight, 10.6% overweight, 62.6% anemia, and 50.3% joint and bone pain. These results showed that being older and drinking coffee increased the likelihood of being underweight, while having less than 30 min of recess per working period and working for more than 5 days per week decreased the likelihood of being overweight. Meanwhile, being a younger male and working for less than 5 days per week decreased the risk of anemia. Furthermore, older age and less than 30 min of recess per working period were associated with increased joint and bone pain.

Conclusions

We recommend the provision of screening programs and health education programs, including dietary programs and physical and exercise programs, by the occupational health nursing (OHN) program, to prevent and reduce health problems in the agricultural sector.