Predictors of Job Satisfaction in Female Farmers Aged 50 and Over: Implications for Occupational Health Nurses

Abstract

Background: Over the past three decades, the number of female farmers in the United States has increased to nearly 1 million, yet research on this occupational group is limited. Job stress arising from job dissatisfaction in other occupations is associated with both acute and chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of demographic characteristics, agricultural occupational factors, and health indicators with farm-work satisfaction among female farmers. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Sustained Work Indicators of Older Farmers Study (2002–2006) was used to examine older female farmers ( N = 332) from North Carolina and Kentucky. This secondary data analysis used farm-work questions adapted from the Kentucky Farm Health and Hazard Surveillance Project to measure demographics and occupational factors, the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale to measure depressive symptoms, and a single item from the National Health Interview Survey to measure self-perceived health status. Findings: Controlling for demographic characteristics, work factors, and health indicators, the female farmers were more likely to report satisfaction with farm work when they had performed a greater number of agricultural tasks in the past year and if they had lower levels of depressive symptoms. Conclusions/Application to Practice: This study provides an initial basis for further research with women working in agriculture. Occupational health nurses, particularly those practicing in agricultural areas, can enhance their quality of care by having a greater understanding of the factors associated with farming and farm life that affect female farmers’ overall health.

Motivational Factors, Job Satisfaction, and Economic Performance in Romanian Small Farms

“…In recent decades, there have been several attempts at defining job satisfaction. Some consider it to be a combination of psychological, physiological, and environmental factors, which result in an internal sense of satisfaction [85], while others define it as a feeling of enthusiasm and contentment in relation to one's job, which brings personal accomplishment [86], or as the extent to which an employee expresses a positive orientation towards their job or the quality of life at work as experienced by the employee, with these being understood as conditions that could be promoted by social responsibility programs executed by the employer [87].…”

“…To measure job satisfaction and motivation, a five-point Likert scale was used (from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). After reviewing the literature, we decided to measure job satisfaction, i.e., feelings of enthusiasm and contentment in relation to a job [85] and that which brings a sense of personal accomplishment [86], using the following three items: autonomy of work and self-employment [83,[96][97][98][100][101][102][105][106][107]; maintenance of family values and traditions [97,100,[102][103][104]; social and lifestyle benefits [83,100,[102][103][104]106].…”