Fatal farm injuries to Canadian children

Stress, Mental Health, and Risk-Taking: Associations among a Sample of Agricultural Adolescents

Farm stress and mental health research has largely focused on adult producers, even though youths live and work on farms. The purpose of this study is to describe the stress and mental health experience of agricultural youths and describe participation in risk-taking behaviors. Farm families in the U.S. were invited to participate in an online survey that inquired about farm economics, stress (ASQ-S), mental health (PHQ-A and SCARED), parenting, social support, and risk-taking behaviors during the summers in 2021 and 2022. This analysis is limited to adolescent respondents (N = 298). Just over 70% of the farm adolescent sample met the criteria for at least mild symptoms of depression (PHQ-A score ≥ 5). Among anxiety disorders, 62.8% of the farm adolescent sample met the criteria for probable panic disorder, and 70.5% met the criteria for probable separation anxiety disorder. Adolescents reported the most stress around future uncertainty and school performance. The stress scores were significantly associated with more symptoms of depression. Over a quarter (27.7%) of the participants reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day in the past month, and 22.5% reported carrying a weapon on school property at least 1 day in the past month. Violence-related risk-taking behaviors were also associated with increased symptoms of depression. The results underscore the need for community- and school-based stress and mental health interventions in rural and agricultural communities.

Agricultural Injury Surveillance in the United States and Canada: A Systematic Literature Review

INTRODUCTION

Agricultural injuries remain a major concern in North America, with a fatal injury rate of 19.5 deaths per 100,000 workers in the United States. Numerous research efforts have sought to compile and analyze records of agricultural-related injuries and fatalities at a national level, utilizing resources, ranging from newspaper clippings and hospital records to Emergency Medical System (EMS) data, death certifications, surveys, and other multiple sources. Despite these extensive efforts, a comprehensive understanding of injury trends over extended time periods and across diverse types of data sources remains elusive, primarily due to the duration of data collection and the focus on specific subsets.

METHODS

This systematic review, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, consolidates and analyzes agricultural injury surveillance data from 48 eligible papers published between 1985 and 2022 to offer a holistic understanding of trends and challenges.

RESULTS

These papers, reporting an average of 25,000 injuries each, were analyzed by database source type, injury severity, nature of injury, body part, source of injury, event/exposure, and age. One key finding is that the top source of injury or event/exposure depends on the chosen surveillance system and injury severity, underscoring the need of diverse data sources for a nuanced understanding of agricultural injuries.

CONCLUSION

This study provides policymakers, researchers, and practitioners with crucial insights to bolster the development and analysis of surveillance systems in agricultural safety. The overarching aim is to address the pressing issue of agricultural injuries, contributing to a safer work environment and ultimately enhancing the overall well-being of individuals engaged in agriculture.

Farm-related injury deaths in Australia (2001-20)

OBJECTIVE

To describe the agents, pattern and trends of unintentional farm fatalities in Australia (2001-2020).

METHODS

Review of study of National Coronial Information System data.

DESIGN

Descriptive.

SETTING

Australia (2001-2020).

PARTICIPANTS

All cases involving fatal work and non-work injury events on a farm.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patterns and agents of injury events, with trends for all-cause deaths based on rates per 10 000 farms and work-related incidents (per 100 000 workers and 1 000 000 h worked).

RESULTS

There were 1584 unintentional farm fatalities (annual mean 79). Two-thirds of cases were work-related (68%). Major agents of injury were farm vehicles (39%) and machinery (26%). Persons aged over 55 years were involved in 58% of all work-related incidents and were significantly more likely to die than younger cohorts when assessed against hours worked. Death rates involving all on-farm fatal incidents (both work and non-work) per 10 000 farms (p = 0.015) and work-related rates per 100 000 workers (p = 0.015) reduced over the period, with both demonstrating a fluctuating rate. There was no change in the work-related rates when assessed against hours worked (p = 0.276).

CONCLUSION

Over the period, the annualised number of deaths fell by approximately 24% (98-75), with agents of injury remaining similar. General trends suggest a reduction in the overall death rates for work and non-work incidents. However, trends were less apparent when the reduction of farms (~19%), workers (~7%) and hours worked (no change), were accounted for. Targeted approaches are required to stimulate improvements in these preventable incidents.

Trends in Work-Related Fatal Farm Injuries, Saskatchewan, Canada: 2005-2019

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to estimate farm fatality rates and to describe patterns of fatal agricultural injuries on Saskatchewan farms from 2005-2019.

METHODS

Data on work-related farm fatalities was collected from January 2005 to December 2019 in the Province of Saskatchewan as a part of the injury and mortality surveillance for the Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR) program. Data were abstracted from records made available by the Provincial Coroner's Office.

RESULTS

There were 166 farm work-related fatalities recorded between 2005 and 2019 in Saskatchewan. The majority (93.4%) of work-related fatalities were in males. The overall work-related fatality rate was 10.5 (95% CI: 8.9-12.1) per 100,000 farm population. The overall age-adjusted work-related fatality rate was 18.1 (95% CI: 15.2-20.9) per 100,000 farm population among males and 1.4 (95% CI: 0.6- 2.3) per 100,000 farm population among females. Age-adjusted rate decreased from 91.2 (95% CI: 69.4 - 117.66) per 100,000 farm population in 2005-2009 to 89.7 (95% CI: 64.9 - 120.2) per 100,000 farm population in 2015-2019 in males. Trend analysis of the work-related fatality rate in all cases showed a non-significant average annual decline of 2.6% (p=0.156). Rollover injuries contributed to a high proportion of fatalities in children (30.0%) and the elderly population (14.9%). The most common causative agent was a tractor, and the most common location of injury was the farmyard or field.

CONCLUSION

The burden of mortality in this industry is still substantial. There was a non-significant decreasing trend in the injury rate over the 15 years period. Elderly farmers continue to be at high risk for fatality while the rates for children have declined. Application of the hierarchy of control to this workplace could reduce the risk of fatal injury, and in particular the high proportion of rollover injuries in children and the elderly population.