S.M.
Rublaitus, J.R.
Wilkins III, L.A.
Jones, G.L.
Mitchell, T.L.
Bean and J.M.
Crawford
NIOSH Education and Information Division
In collaboration
with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), The Ohio State University (OSU) is conducting a multiple-phase,
population-based health and hazard study of Ohio cash-grain
farmers and their families. A self-administered questionnaire
was sent to a sample of 4,860 cash-grain farmers. This sample
was drawn from a state directory maintained by the Ohio Agricultural
Statistics Service. The mailing was followed by a telephone
survey of non-respondents in order to complete Phase 1 of
the Ohio Farm Family Health Study.
Among
the health issues examined, the questionnaire solicited information
about symptoms of respiratory disease. Self-reported symptoms
characteristic of respiratory disease on the Phase-1 questionnaire
indicate that 16.5% of the operators from our sample experienced
flu-like symptoms in connection with dusty work during the
twelve months preceding completion of the questionnaire. Of
the operators who experienced respiratory symptoms, 63.6%
attributed the symptoms to their work environment. Also, 10.5%
of the respondents reported past experience with chest tightness
in connection with work.
Additional
data analyses will give consideration to the characteristics
of the farm operation, including its principal products and
the size of the operation in terms of sales value of the products
and acreage of land included in the production. Also considered
will be possible associations of respiratory disease symptoms
with preventive measures such as training in the prevention
of occupational illness and injuries and the use of breathing
protection for dusty work. Exposures such as the operator's
job history of specific farm tasks and self-reported habits
including smoking will be addressed as exposures that may
account for the respiratory conditions reported.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
research abstract was extracted from a portion of the proceedings
of "Agricultural Safety and Health: Detection, Prevention
and Intervention," a conference presented by the Ohio State
University and the Ohio Department of Health, sponsored by
the Centers for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health.
The
authors noted above are from: All at The Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH.
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