Data report on three datasets: Mortality patterns between agricultural and non-agricultural ward areas

Abstract

The health of the farming community in Northern Ireland (NI) requires further research as previous mortality studies have reported contradictory results regarding farmers’ health outcomes compared against other occupations and the general population. This study collated the NINIS area-level farm census with the population census information across 582 non-overlapping wards of NI to compile three mortality datasets (2001, 2011, and pooled dataset) (NISRA 2019). These datasets allow future researchers to investigate the influence of demographic, farming, and economic predictors on all-cause mortality at the ward level. The 2001 and 2011 mortality datasets were compiled for cross-sectional analyses and subsequently pooled for longitudinal analyses. Findings from these datasets will provide evidence of the influence of farming intensity scores on death risk within the wards for future researchers to utilise, and this will aid in the understanding of socio-ecological variables’ additive contribution to the risk of death at the ward level within NI. This data report is of interest to the One Health research community as it standardises the environment−human−animal data to pave the way towards a new One Health research paradigm. For example, future researchers can use this nationally representative data to investigate whether agriculturally saturated wards have a higher mortality risk than non-agriculturally based wards of NI.

Assessing the impact of socio‐demographics and farming activity on ward‐level mortality patterns using farm and population decennial censuses

“…Table 1 presents the differences between the national summary statistics in 2001 and 2011 relating to each continuous variable utilised in the model 5,38 . Between the population censuses, Wards experienced an increase in residents living alone (19%), aged over 65 years old (18%), unpaid carers (16%), LLTIs (9%), overall population (8%), and full‐time workers (1%); alongside a decrease in those with below degree qualifications (2%).…”

“…Table 1 presents the differences between the national summary statistics in 2001 and 2011 relating to each continuous variable utilised in the model. 5,38 Between the population censuses, Wards experienced an increase in residents living alone (19%), aged over 65 years old (18%), unpaid carers (16%), LLTIs (9%), overall population (8%), and full-time workers (1%); alongside a decrease in those with below degree qualifications (2%). Over this decade, farm census results indicated there was a simultaneous downturn by 2011 in the number of farms (18%), farmers (17%), grass-based farming (8%) and cattle (5%); yet, an upsurge was observed across poultry (36.8%), annual farm profit (30%) and pigs (10%).…”

“…This study's farm census to population census linkage has provided a contextual mechanism for investigating and understanding some of the unexplained variations in mortality risk at Ward-level in NI, allowing future inter-disciplinary researchers to make international comparisons. 5,12 Future research in this area is necessary, the authors plan an expansion of this study with the addition of the 2021 Census information. The overall model will be tested cross-sectionally at 2021 and longitudinally between the three time points (2001,2010,2021) once the information becomes available via NINIS online.…”

“…This lack of research may be because nationally linked farm census and population census data at Ward level have not previously been available for NI. 5 In addition, a better understanding is needed of how farmers' unique socio-environmental attributes may have multiplicative effects contributing to their risk of mortality at Ward-level in NI.…”

“…This study has arisen in response to mixed findings 3,4 and a lack of research on the relationship between farming, community characteristics and risk of mortality between areas with and without agricultural activity. This lack of research may be because nationally linked farm census and population census data at Ward level have not previously been available for NI 5 . In addition, a better understanding is needed of how farmers' unique socio‐environmental attributes may have multiplicative effects contributing to their risk of mortality at Ward‐level in NI.…”