Journal of Agromedicine最新文献

{"title":"Barriers and Facilitators to Adoption of Winch Safety Equipment in Two U.S. Commercial Fisheries.","authors":"Tristan M Victoroff, Theodore D Teske","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2582650","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2582650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study explored commercial fishermen's perspectives and decision-making process related to investment in winch safety equipment for fishing vessels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study employed semi-structured interviews during 2019-2021 with commercial fishing captains, owners, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers (<i>n</i> = 19) from two different commercial fisheries: the Pacific Northwest purse seine fleet, and the Southern shrimp fleet. Interview recordings were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed to identify themes related to adoption of winch safety gear.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, perception of risk from deck winches was high in both populations. Fishermen generally regarded safety engineering interventions for winches positively, in principle. However, cost, installation complexity, and competing safety priorities are often barriers to adopting such equipment. In discussing safety-related investments, fishermen commonly prioritized maintenance of the vessel and management of the crew over mechanical safety equipment for the deck winch, despite its potential for causing injury. We identified several potential facilitators of adoption of winch safety equipment, particularly for the Southern shrimp fleet.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Fishermen tend to view deck winch safety as part of a larger, complex set of safety considerations encompassing the vessel and crew as a whole. This risk balancing sometimes does not favor investment in safety gear specifically for the deck winch, even if it is perceived as a primary hazard. Fundamental economic conditions in these two fisheries continue to pose a challenge to widespread adoption of winch safety equipment. Reducing cost barriers would potentially be the most effective way to increase adoption, but additional work is needed to improve risk communication, increase awareness of available winch safety equipment, and address installation complexity barriers.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"173-185"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145490794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The AUEQ: Development and Validation of the Agricultural Exoskeleton Usability Evaluation Questionnaire for Arm- and Leg-Support Devices.","authors":"Do-Hyeon Ryu, Byungkyu Choi, Yong-Ku Kong, Sang-Soo Park, Hyun-Ho Shim, Jaehyun Park","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2583408","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2583408","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The study aimed to develop a comprehensive and psychometrically validated subjective usability evaluation system tailored for arm- and leg-support exoskeletons used in labor-intensive agricultural tasks. Existing assessment methods often overlook user-centric factors, limiting the broader adoption of exoskeleton technologies in real-world settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Experiments were conducted using arm- and leg-support exoskeleton types across multiple agricultural tasks. A total of 68 participants took part in three different experimental settings. Subjective usability data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to identify underlying usability dimensions. Retrospective item refinement was conducted to enhance the validity and reliability of the evaluation system.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four key usability factors were identified: effectiveness, wearability, safety, and learnability, each demonstrating high internal consistency. Based on these factors, a final 24-item usability questionnaire was developed. The system captures both practical and ergonomic considerations relevant to agricultural exoskeleton use.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The proposed evaluation system addresses the limitations of conventional exoskeleton assessments by incorporating subjective usability dimensions. It provides a reliable, user-centered framework that can be widely applied to improve exoskeleton design, enhance user experience, and support successful deployment in agricultural environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"209-223"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145446378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"All-Hazard Preparedness Among H-2A Guest Workers.","authors":"Nicandro Mandujano Acevedo, Bethany Boggess, Jocelyn Claudel Suarez, Abigail Riggenbach, Josue Ruiz","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2026.2615784","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2026.2615784","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>H-2A workers are a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. farm labor force. They may face unique challenges in emergency preparedness. The primary objectives of this rapid community assessment (RCA) were to assess 1) the prevalence of emergency preparedness training, 2) the prevalence of general emergency preparedness behaviors, and 3) emerging infectious disease vaccination uptake and access to local health care resources among H-2A workers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Surveys were conducted in Monterey County, California, and Yakima County, Washington, due to the high number of H-2A workers who arrive on a seasonal basis. Participants were recruited at randomly selected housing sites and non-randomly selected community sites. A descriptive analysis of participants' responses and a comparative analysis of Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants were conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 307 surveys were completed in-person in Monterey County (<i>n</i> = 144) and Yakima County (<i>n</i> = 163). Data collection took place in August for both counties. The majority of participants had received training on emergency preparedness topics and had access to recommended emergency preparedness items, but this was less common among Indigenous participants. Vaccine uptake was similar among Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants, but uptake of the Tdap/TD vaccine was lower among Indigenous participants.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This RCA provides actionable insight into emergency preparedness, healthcare access, and vaccine uptake among H-2A workers. While most participants indicated receiving training on critical aspects of emergency preparedness, a substantial minority had not. Critical gaps remain in emergency preparedness, such as education and overall emergency readiness, that need enhancement in these communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"300-312"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146004578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A PheWAS Analysis of the Risks and Benefits of Growing Up on a Farm.","authors":"Richard R Burke, Richard L Berg, Bryan P Weichelt, Rachel M Gabor, Josie M Rudolphi, Casper G Bendixsen, Jeffrey J VanWormer","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2591079","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2591079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Growing up on a farm presents a health paradox, with increased risks of injuries but some purported benefits. This study estimated differences in the burden of medical comorbidities between youth who live versus do not live on farms. No a priori hypotheses were tested.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) was used in a cohort of youth in north-central Wisconsin. Those who lived on farms were matched (1:3) to a non-farm comparison group. Outcomes included a comprehensive set of diagnoses (Phecodes) that occurred between 2017 and 2021. PheWAS analyses included logistic regression models of Phecode associations with farm residency.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 36 Phecodes that significantly differentiated the two groups. Youth who lived on farms had significantly higher odds of agricultural injury, dermatophytosis, spinal neuritis, and strabismus compared to non-farm youth. Remaining Phecodes indicated protection in the farm group. Notably, relative to the non-farm group, farm youth had a 20%-30% lower odds of respiratory illnesses, as well as 30%-40% lower odds of mental health and neurological conditions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This was the first known study to utilize a PheWAS approach to comprehensively compare medical comorbidities in farm versus non-farm youth. Findings confirmed the known injury hazards in farm youth, but there appeared to be more health benefits of living on farms. Some of these apparent protections were novel, particularly those related to affective disorders, but require future confirmatory testing to understand how care seeking behaviors may also influence farm and non-farm households.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"254-262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Study of the Sensitivity, Specificity, and Accuracy of a Developed Risk Matrix on Risk Assessment Among Pesticide Sprayers.","authors":"Chuthamas Chagkornburee, Sunisa Chaiklieng, Pornnapa Suggaravetsiri","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2583407","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2583407","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effects of pesticide exposure on human health are a significant concern in the global agricultural sector. However, developed risk matrix of occupational exposure and pesticide screening have rarely been studied. This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of a developed occupational risk assessment matrix. Data were collected from both an interview questionnaire and serum cholinesterase testing by using cholinesterase reactive paper. The participants were 421 pesticide sprayers in northeastern Thailand. The risk matrix (4x4) was developed by multiplying the likelihood of pesticide exposure by the severity level of adverse symptoms. The risk score was classified into acceptable and unacceptable levels of risk. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the risk matrix were assessed by using a standard 2 × 2table. Most of the sprayers were male (69%) and their ages ranged between 19 and 76 years old (mean = 53; SD = 10). Abnormal cholinesterase test results indicated an unsafe level of risk for 48% of sprayers (95% CI: 44% -53%). The risk matrix showed that the largest proportion of sprayers (42.52%, 95%CI: 38% -47%) were classified as moderate risk, followed by those at a low-to-very high risk (57%, 95% CI: 53% -62%). The risk matrix findings showed a sensitivity of 73.17% (95% CI: 69% -77%) and a specificity of 64% (95% CI: 59% -68%) for risk screening. The positive predictive value was 99% (95% CI: 98% -100%), the negative predictive value was 6% (95% CI: 4% -8%) and the accuracy was 73% (95% CI: 69% -77%). Conclusion: These pesticide sprayers represent a high-risk group, highlighting the need for effective guidance in conducting risk assessment programs for pesticide exposure. Therefore, this developed risk matrix is also valuable for health screening among pesticide applicators.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"198-208"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145453833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the Influence of Agricultural Injuries on the Welfare of Cocoa Farming Households in Ghana.","authors":"Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Gifty-Maria Sangber-Dery, Fred Ankuyi, John-Eudes Andivi Bakang, Stephen John Ayeh, Eric Nfaaful","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2594115","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2594115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Agriculture must produce more food to meet the needs of a growing global population. However, farm injuries may hinder farmers' abilities to contribute to this goal. Due to the increasing incidence of injuries in the cocoa industry, this study aimed to investigate how farm injuries impact the household welfare of cocoa farmers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A multi-stage sampling method was employed to collect data from 400 cocoa farmers. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, including means, percentages, standard deviations, frequencies and a multivariate probit (MVP).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Out of 400 respondents, cocoa farmers stated that an average of 11 people were injured per season, and this led to a loss of about 57 working days. The most common injuries were cuts, waist pains, and insect bites. Results from the MVP analysis showed that farm injuries significantly affected farmers' food security, productivity, and income.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The research points out that, as much as routine training is necessary, tool design, the implementation of work-rest patterns, and task change should be enhanced to reduce fatigue. Frequent utilization of personal safety gear is encouraged. The findings are significant in terms of policy and practice implications to minimize farm injuries, improve household welfare, and protect the contribution of cocoa farmers to the world food production.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"277-290"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145607087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Caregiving Along the Life Course Among Farming Households.","authors":"Emily M L Southard, Florence A Becot","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2026.2622658","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2026.2622658","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Caregiving is a universal human experience with a wide range of consequences on caregivers' physical and mental health, social life, and economic well-being. Yet caregiving among the farming population has seldom been studied, even though this population might have greater needs for care due to the dangerous and physical nature of the work, aging of the population, and the role of childcare as a safety strategy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We drew on a publicly available survey of 704 farming caregivers in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest to answer four research questions: 1) Who are the caregivers? 2) What resources does caregiving require? 3) How does caregiving impact farming caregivers' finances and well-being? 4) What type of support do caregivers use and what support do they want? We conducted bivariate analysis to tease out similarities and differences based on the type of care provided: children, adults (with a disability and/or older), or both (i.e. children and adults).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Almost two-thirds of respondents (60%) cared for both children and adults, while 22% cared only for children and 17% cared only for adults. Respondents are diverse - with a variety of caregiving responsibilities and demands on their time and finances. A majority of respondents reported a mix of both largely negative impacts on financial wellbeing and mostly positive and neutral impacts on mental, physical, and social wellbeing. Most respondents used social safety net programs and desired more caregiving support. Significant differences emerge when we compare different types of caregiving. Respondents caring for children and adults are more likely to have higher resource demands, negative financial impacts, and desires for support.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings reemphasize the importance of attending to the social and economic needs of farmers and farmworkers in research, outreach, and policy. This includes helping farming community navigate their caregiving responsibilities in a way that accounts for how their realities (e.g. needs of people they care for, self-employment status, immigration status, rurality of residence) shape their needs and ability to access help. Our findings also add to the growing scholarship challenging stereotypes that farming communities are socially tight-knit, self-sufficient, and do not want help.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"329-346"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147357235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Broadening Recruitment Paradigms to Increase Occupational Safety and Health Research Engagement.","authors":"Pamela J Milkovich, Florence Becot, Julie A Sorensen, Amanda B Roome, Erika E Scott","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2582651","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2582651","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Engaging target populations and obtaining reliable research data has become increasingly difficult. Traditional randomized control trial (RCT) approaches, though useful in establishing sound knowledge and identifying effective interventions, can also be counterproductive. This brief provides examples from past research initiatives in which RCT approaches were ineffective and supplemented with alternate recruitment and engagement strategies. In its conclusion, we propose methods for broadening our research approaches to better serve the populations we work with: farmers, commercial fishermen, and loggers. Further, we invite others to join this conversation.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"347-350"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13034084/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145439993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations Between Economic Conditions and Mental Health Among Farm Parents.","authors":"Josie M Rudolphi, Richard L Berg, Rachel Gabor, Kaleigh Barnett","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2593366","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2025.2593366","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Agricultural producers in the United States experience chronic economic volatility that may place them at elevated risk for mental health challenges and disrupted family functioning. Guided by the Family Stress Model (FSM), this study examined associations between economic hardship, mental health, and parenting style among U.S. farm parents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2021 and 2022 with 298 farm adults across multiple states. The survey included validated measures of financial strain, symptoms of depression and anxiety (PHQ-9, GAD-7), and parenting style, categorised into authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or uninvolved.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results revealed that 40.7% of farm parents met the threshold for probable depression and 30.6% for probable anxiety - rates substantially higher than national averages. Financial indicators such as difficulty paying bills, unmet material needs, financial cutbacks, and higher debt-to-asset ratios were significantly associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Parenting style was also related to both economic stress and emotional well-being: authoritative parents reported the lowest financial stress and mental health symptoms, while uninvolved parents reported the highest.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings are consistent with FSM pathways, which posit that economic hardship is associated with greater psychological distress and disruptions in parenting behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"263-276"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145642156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preferred Sources and Senders of Mental Health Information Among FFA Youth Residing on Farms.","authors":"Josie Rudolphi, Kayleigh Barnett","doi":"10.1080/1059924X.2026.2615247","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1059924X.2026.2615247","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Agricultural youth may be at greater risk for poor mental health than their non-farm counterparts. While mental health resources exist for agricultural populations, they are typically adult-focused and not tailored to the needs of youth. Additionally, the preferred sources and modes for mental health information among agricultural youth are not well known. The objective of this pilot study is to identify the sources of mental health information of most interest among agricultural youth and the methods of which they prefer mental health information.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey using a short questionnaire was administered to youth (ages 14-18) attending the National FFA Convention. A convenience sample of convention attendees completed a paper-based or online survey measuring demographics, preferred mental health information sources, and mental health information delivery modes. Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were used to examine the research question.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 386 youth surveyed (mean age = 16.13, SD = 1.15), nearly half (46.89%) reported living on a farm or ranch at least 50% of the time. Compared to their non-farm-residing peers, farm-residing youth were significantly less interested in receiving mental health information from medical doctors (<i>p</i> = .019) and mental health specialists (<i>p</i> < .001). Among farm-residing youth, females showed significantly greater interest than males in receiving information from teachers (<i>p</i> = .040), sport coaches (<i>p</i> = .034), spiritual leaders (<i>p</i> = .039), medical doctors (<i>p</i> = .009), and mental health specialists (<i>p</i> = .005).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Results from this study suggest youth who live on farms might be more interested in receiving mental health information from youth leaders and spiritual coaches than individuals in more traditional medical roles. Additional research should examine whether this is due to preferences or barriers to accessing more traditional mental health services in agricultural communities. These findings can inform the development of mental health programming for agricultural youth.</p>","PeriodicalId":49172,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agromedicine","volume":" ","pages":"351-357"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}