HEALTH IN AGRICULTURE:Cultivating an Understanding of the Unique Challenges and Strengths within Farming and Ranching

Chelsea Hampton, MSW

WHY IS THIS TOPIC IMPORTANT?

Learning Objectives: I. Participants will gain a basic understanding of/and be able to identify some

of the major health issues and conditions agricultural workers face.

II. Participants will gain a basic understanding of/and be able to identify risk factors associated with health issues and conditions agricultural workers face.

III. Participants will be able to identify preventative approaches and resources for promoting agricultural health and independence.

America’s Farmers. Webisode 14 – “A Year Round Job.”

COMMON INJURIES AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AMONG AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

Arthritis - Arthritis affects approximately one-third of adults in farming and ranching.1

Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries – An estimated 1.7 million cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI) occur annually, and the rates are higher for males in every age group.2

Hand and Eye Injuries - Approximately 2,000 cases of job-related eye injury requiring medical care occur each day in the U.S.3

1 Agriculture and Arthritis. http://www.arthritis-ag.org/arthritis-and-you/agriculture-and-arthritis.aspx 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Injury Prevention & Control: Traumatic Brain Injury. http://www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury/statistics.html 3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Workplace Safety & Health Topics: Eye Safety. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/

COMMON INJURIES AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS (CONTINUED…)

Hearing Loss - In the U.S., an estimated 17% of adults have some level of hearing loss, which increases to 1 in 3 people after the age of 65.4 Agriculture is one of several industries heavily impacted by noise-induced hearing loss.5

Cardiovascular Disease – Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.

Skin Cancer – Agricultural workers are in a high-risk category, as skin cancer rates are higher in farmers than in the general population.6

4 Hearing Loss Association of America – Basic Facts about Hearing Loss. http://www.hearingloss.org/content/basic-facts-about-hearing-loss5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: NIOSH Publications and Products: Work Related Hearing Loss. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2001-103/ 6 The Forum.(1997). http://ncsu.edu/ffci/publications/1997/v2-n3-1997-summer/skin-cancer.php. NC State University.

RISK FACTORS

Nature of work in agricultural settings and physical stress

Lack of protective equipment and/or safety awareness

Lifestyle factors Age Pre-existing health conditions

COMMON HEALTH & SAFETY HAZARDS IN FARMING AND RANCHING

Pesticides and Other Chemicals Operating Machinery Heavy Lifting Working with Livestock Noise Exposure Exposure to the Elements (more on this in the next

section) Tractor and Vehicle Accidents Rough/Unstable Terrain

THE BIG PICTURE OF HAZARD, RISK, INJURY & ILLNESS IN AGRICULTURE

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

AgricultureMiningConstruc-tion

Year

Dea

th R

ate

(Dea

ths

Per 1

00,0

00

Wor

kers

)

Data from the National Safety Council® Injury Facts® 2008 and 2011 Editions

THE BIG PICTURE… (CONTINUED)

Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses (2008)

MenWomen

Fatalities (2008)

MenWomen

Data from the National Safety Council® Injury Facts® 2011 Edition

Cases by Gender

THE BIG PICTURE… (CONTINUED)

Under 16 16-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

0500

1000150020002500300035004000

Fatalities and Nonfatal Cases by Age (2008)

Nonfatal CasesFatalities

Age

No.

of C

ases

Data from the National Safety Council® Injury Facts® 2011 Edition

THE BIG PICTURE… (CONTINUED)

Part of Body Affected in Nonfatal Cases (2008)

Head NeckTrunk Upper ExtremitiesLower Extremities Body SystemsMultiple All Other

•1, 550 vehicle-related cases

•1,090 cases due to machinery

•300 cases due to chemicals and chemical products

• Of the data provided, vehicle-related incidents accounted for the most fatalities with 323

Data from the National Safety Council® Injury Facts® 2011 Edition

WEATHER-RELATED INJURIES AND PREVENTION

Cold Weather Injury, Illness, and Prevention

- Frostbite- Hypothermia- Trench Foot - Slips and Falls

WEATHER-RELATED INJURIES AND PREVENTION

Heat-related Injury, Illness, and Prevention

- Heat Stroke- Heat Exhaustion- Heat Cramps

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN AGRICULTURE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8ZhaIbEZN8&feature=relmfu America’s Farmers Webisode 11: “Challenges.”

“Put you in a mood you can’t describe…”

“That’s when you gotta pick yourself up…you’re pretty depressed and in the dumps when that happens.”

“Your whole livelihood is out there.”

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN AGRICULTURE: COMMON HEALTH ISSUES

Depression

Stress – Multiple Related Factors

Suicide Risk

PTSD in Returning Veteran-Farmers

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN AGRICULTURE: RISK FACTORS

Isolation in Rural Areas Reluctance to Seek Help Compounding Factors, Stressors and Underlying

Conditions

A PREVENTATIVE APPROACH: REINFORCING THE FRAMEWORK FOR AGRICULTURAL HEALTH

Increase awareness of health issues and hazards Promote the use of protective equipment and utilizing

proper safety measures Increase access to health information and resources Promote self-care, healthy life-style choices and

preventative healthcare Prevent secondary injuries

FARMING AND RANCHING WITH A DISABILITY…

What is AgrAbility?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI3vChVHdoc&feature=player_embedded

AgrAbility: It’s About Hope. [Short Version]. Purdue University Extension.

FARMING AND RANCHING WITH A DISABILITY (CONTINUED…)

Role of Wyoming AgrAbility

Assistive Technology

Partners in Wyoming

Assistive Technology in Agriculture

Assistive Technology (Continued…)

FARMING AND RANCHING WITH A DISABILITY (CONTINUED…)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRvUYVei4G8&NR=1&feature=endscreen

What AgrAbility Means to Me – Don Trammel. National AgrAbility.

AGRICULTURAL HEALTH & SAFETY TRIVIA…

What does PPE stand for? What would some examples of PPE include? What does ROPS stand for? What are some of the resources in Wyoming for agricultural

workers with disabilities? Name three common health conditions/injuries… Why are agricultural workers at risk?

AS A FINAL NOTE…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48H7zOQrX3U

“I’m Farming and I Grow It.” The Peterson Farm Bros.

REFERENCES: -Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety http://www.aghealth.org.au/index.php?id=5061 -Rural Assistance Center http://www.raconline.org/topics/agri_health/ - Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety. (2009). Farm Health & Safety Tool Kit. - World Health Organization. Occupational health services in agriculture and rural areas: an urgent need for the healthy village campaign. http://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/newsletter/newsletter_15_regions/en/index6.html- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Workplace Safety & Health Topics: Agriculture http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/agriculture/ -Virginia Cooperative Extension. http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-085/442-085.html -CDC. Worker Safety on the Farm. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-137/ -Map http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/NCVDSS_DTM/-The Skin Cancer Foundation - http://www.skincancer.org/ -Farm Stress One http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/disaster/drought/old/dro-31.html -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Workplace Safety & Health Topics: Heat Stress. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/ -ERS/USDA http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/WellBeing/demographics.htm -OSHA Fact Sheet: Farm Safety. (2005). http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/FarmFactS2.pdf -Fetsch, R.J. (June, 2011). Farming, ranching: Health hazard or opportunity? Fact Sheet No. 10.201. Consumer Series: Family. Colorado State University Extension. -National Safety Council. (2011). Injury Facts®, 2011 Edition. Itasca, IL: Author.-National Safety Council. (2008). Injury Facts®, 2008 Edition. Itasca, IL: Author.-Preventing Cold-Related Illness in Agricultural Workers. Wyoming AgrAbility.

THANK YOU!

Wyoming AgrAbility 1000 E. University Ave. Dept 3354

Laramie, WY 82071Toll free: (866) 395-4986

Phone: (307) 766-3052 http://www.uwyo.edu/agrability/default.html

Chelsea Hampton, MSW Randy Weigel, Ph.D. Former Project Coordinator Project Director(307)766-3052 (307) 766-4186

agrability@uwyo.edu