Association Between Farm Machinery Operation and Low Back Disorder in Farmers: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Agricultural Injuries: Risk Factors and Severity by Affected Body Part among US (Midwest) Farmers

OBJECTIVES

Statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that agriculture consistently ranks as the most hazardous industry in the US. To identify specific targets for prevention, we investigated injury risk factor profiles separately for each injured body site. We also characterized the severity of agricultural injuries by injured body site using the type of medical care and lost work time due to injury.

METHODS

We used the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) surveillance data for 2018 to perform descriptive statistics and regression modeling.

RESULTS

We found that 12% (513/4351) of the participants experienced one or more injuries in the previous 12 months. Compared to female operators, male operators had 3.53 (95% CI: 1.17-10.68) times higher odds of back injury. Operators in livestock production had 2.77 times (95% CI:1.12-6.82), 2.28 times (95% CI:1.25-4.14), and 1.69 times (95% CI:1.10-2.59) higher odds of injury to the chest/trunk, finger, and leg/knee/hip, respectively, compared to operators in crop or mixed production. After adjusting for age and gender, operators who worked full time (vs. part-time) on the farm/ranch had 2.11 times (95% CI:1.03-4.34) higher odds of back injury. Arm/shoulder and leg/knee/hip injuries were more frequent in older age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevention measures should be tailored considering specifically livestock producers with emphasis on trainings on proper livestock handling, such as being gentle, establishing routine, keeping distance, and avoiding sudden and loud noise when handling animals. Applying these techniques avoid startling the animals and reduce the risk of injuries.

Get 'Er Done: Experiences of Canadian Farmers Living with Chronic Low Back Disorders

Purpose: This study explored the experiences of adult farmers living with chronic low back disorders (LBDs) in Saskatchewan. Method: A qualitative phenomenological approach with inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze semi-structured interviews that had been audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview items focused on the perceived cause of LBDs, their impact on social and work life, coping strategies, and health care access and use. Results: A total of 12 face-to-face interviews were conducted with 11 men and 1 woman aged 40-84 years. Two overarching themes emerged: seasonality and isolation. Related sub-themes included pushing through, doing less, barriers to health care, and self-management. Conclusions: Farmers are faced with seasonal demands and geographical constraints, which lead them to push through the pain or do less when experiencing an episode of low back pain. In addition, farmers identified many barriers to accessing health care services that caused them to develop self-management techniques to cope or to go without care. This study provides the groundwork for future research addressing the unique occupational demands of farmers. Knowledge of farmers' experiences with chronic LBDs and their challenges regarding health care access can help inform health care providers and decision makers and contribute to tailored services and management approaches for similar rural and remote regions in other parts of the world.