Identifying and mitigating risks for agricultural injury associated with obesity

Abstract

In some occupational contexts overweight and obesity have been identified as risk factors for injury. The purpose of this study was to examine this hypothesis within farm work environments and then to identify specific opportunities for environmental modification as a preventive strategy. Data on farm-related injuries, height and weight used to calculate body mass index (BMI), and demographic characteristics were from the Phase 2 baseline survey of the Saskatchewan Farm Injury Cohort; a large cross-sectional mail-based survey conducted in Saskatchewan, Canada from January through May 2013. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between BMI and injury. Injury narratives were explored qualitatively. Findings were inconsistent and differed according to gender. Among women (n = 927), having overweight (adjusted OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.29 to 6.70) but not obesity (1.10; 95% CI: 0.35 to 3.43) was associated with an increased odds of incurring a farm-related injury. No strong or statistically significant effects were observed for men (n = 1406) with overweight or obesity. While injury-related challenges associated with obesity have been addressed in other occupational settings via modification of the worksite, such strategies are challenging to implement in farm settings because of the diversity of work tasks and associated hazards. We conclude that the acute effects of overweight in terms of injury do require consideration in agricultural populations, but these should also be viewed with a differentiation based on gender.

Obesity and Work-Related Injuries Among Farmers in Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia

“…Specific to female farmers, King et al (2016) identified falls, work performed in close proximity to hazards, repetitive manual tasks, and assisting in tasks where being overweight could contribute to injuries. Further research to identify the specific impact of weight on injuries is needed to identify work modifications to prevent and guide health care providers in assessing for injuries in overweight and obese workers.…”

“…However, articles in two systematic reviews with meta-analyses (Jadhav et al, 2015(Jadhav et al, , 2016 identifying risk factors and emerging risk factors for agriculture injuries did not include obesity as a risk factor. King et al (2016), using data from the Saskatchewan Farm Injury Cohort, reported an increase in farm WRI in women farmers who were overweight (n = 280), but not if they were obese (n = 190). Obesity was identified as a protective factor in women, limiting the duration, intensity, and type of farm work performed.…”

Investigating the Dietary Habits of Male Irish Farmers to Prevent Mortality and Morbidity

“…For example, a waist reduction of 5-10 cm can result in improvements in several CVD risk factors [39], a 10% loss of body weight can lead to one third decline of inflammatory (cancer) markers [40], and 5-10% weight loss is associated with significantly reduced levels of blood glucose among those with diabetes type 2 [41]. Indeed, weight loss among those who are overweight/obese not only reduces CVD risk but is also likely to improve occupational health and safety as being overweight or obese is associated with increased risk of occupational farm injuries [14].…”

“…Both Irish [9,10] and Australian [11,12] studies have shown that an accumulation of risk factors for CVD, particularly overweight/obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m 2 (overweight) or ≥30 kg/m 2 (obese) [13], is also high among farmers. Farming is also widely recognized as a hazardous occupation, due to a high prevalence of occupational injuries and fatalities and attention has been drawn to overweight/obesity as a confounding risk factor for occupational injury [14], musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) [15], and depression [16,17]. Thus, from a TWH perspective, an examination of farmers dietary habits is warranted to seek to reduce the burden of mortality and morbidity associated with being overweight/obese.…”

Perfil antropométrico do operador de máquinas agrícolas do município de trairi-ce

“…O município de Trairi, pertencente ao estado Ceará, tem sua produção agrícola amparada nas culturas do milho, feijão e mandioca, de acordo com o IBGE (2018) a área plantada dessas três culturas respectivamente foram 3720 ha, 3660 ha, e 3570 ha. Segundo Macedo et al (2016) a cultura do milho demanda uma maior utilização de máquinas agrícolas para implantação, manutenção e transporte, atuando no preparo do solo, tratos cultuais e colheita tornando assim o trator a fonte de potência principal para realizar grande parte das atividades de campo dessas propriedades.…”