Farm Families: Gendered Perceptions of Youth Safety and Injury Vulnerability

Do social influences, awareness, or experience matter? Toward a better understanding of Farm-related Injury Risk Perception among agricultural science college students in Ireland

Introduction

Formal farm safety education/training should be tailored, in terms of the approach, content and delivery, to students undertaking agriculture education and training to enhance Farm-related Injury Risk Perception (FIRP). To this end, this paper assesses factor(s) explaining or predicting levels of FIRP amongst students studying for a degree in agriculture science.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of Bachelor of Agriculture Science (BAgrSc) students (N = 417) (aged 18-20) in Ireland. Descriptive [frequency and cross-tabulations) and inferential (Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR)] analyses were applied to evaluate the effects of social influences, experience (of farming, of a near-miss or injury), and awareness (of others who were injured or killed on the farm) on FIRP.

Results

The study found that social influences negatively affected FIRP (P < 0.05). A relatively small number of students reported experiencing an injury (n = 56, 13.4%) that resulted in them being unable to participate in educational or social activities. A quarter of the respondents did, however, record experiencing a near-miss/close call (n = 106, 25.4%). A notable proportion (n = 144, 34.5%) of students had personal connections to someone who died as a consequence of a farm-related incident and 56.4% (n = 235) knew someone who was moderately or severely injured. OLR findings established that experiencing a severe injury, having a near-miss or close call, and awareness of a farm-related death or injury positively affects FIRP (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Perception of farm risks amongst students in Ireland is low. Students who recorded higher levels of risk perception were, however, more likely to report experiencing a near-miss, close call or severe injury, or knowing someone who experienced a farm-related injury or fatality. Farmers, family or friends were found to negatively impact the FIRP and this reflects previous research findings. Our findings highlight the need for education and training programs to enhance opportunities for student peer-to-peer learning through sharing of experiences and/or knowledge of farm injuries and/or fatalities. Such activities will enhance awareness and understanding amongst the general population of students leading to increased FIRP and contribute to a reduction in risk-taking.

Children, Work, and Safety on the Farm during COVID-19: A Harder Juggling Act

OBJECTIVES

Measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Spring of 2020 immediately raised concerns among farm safety experts about the increase in children's risk exposure due to changes in childcare and schooling arrangements. The goal of this study is to understand how farm parents were taking care of their children in the early months of COVID-19.

METHODS

I conducted univariate and inductive content analysis on survey data from 134 farm parents from 38 U.S. states to understand.

RESULTS

My findings overall confirm experts' predictions. The move to distance learning for about three-quarter of respondents with school-age children and changes in childcare arrangements for over half of those with pre-school-age children led respondents to contend with fewer options and added responsibilities. Most frequently used adaptation strategies reflected lower reliance on the traditionally important social networks, a desire to preserve household income, and greater involvement of children on the farm. As a result, taking care of their children became harder for more than half of respondents with likely repercussions on children's exposure to risk, parents' well-being, and on the farm business.

CONCLUSION

The empirical insights of this study provide descriptive baseline and contextual data for future research on the impact of COVID-19. The conceptual insights expand the farm safety literature by illustrating the need to study underappreciated structural factors shaping how farm parents juggle children with their professional obligations. Finally, findings around the complexity of raising children and connections to farm productivity and farm safety highlight the importance of considering farm women's well-being alongside the safety of their children.

Broadening Our Understanding of Farm Children's Risk Exposure by Considering Their Parents' Farming Background

While farm safety researchers have seldom considered the association between farm parents' background and their children's safety, researchers who have compared first- and multi-generation farmers have found differences that may shape safety outcomes. We draw on the farm safety and family farm bodies of literature and a survey of 203 United States farm parents to assess the role of farming background in farm children risk exposure. Exploratory in nature, the bivariate analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between first- and multi-generation farmers in children injury, agricultural safety perceptions, knowledge, and practices but revealed differences in key demographic characteristics and parenting styles. A range of factors likely explain these findings with meso- and macro-level factors likely impacting farm parents' ability to adopt safety practices. In contrast to the emphasis on knowledge and behaviors, we call for the integration of lived realities in farm safety research and to do so in a way that connects realities and choices to larger contexts. We also call on the need to expand the toolkit of interventions to address meso- and macro-level factors. A shift towards addressing social and economic conditions in agriculture could reduce farm children's injuries while supporting the sustainability of farm labor systems.