Citation

Chapman LJ, Newenhouse AC, Meyer RH, Karsh BT, Taveira AD, Miquelon MG. J. Agric. Saf. Health 2003; 9(2): 91-105.

Affiliation

Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. ljchapma@facstaff.wisc.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, American Society of Agricultural Engineers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12827856

Abstract

Little or no research is available about the tasks that children and adolescents perform in small scale, fresh market vegetable production. A mail questionnaire was administered in an exploratory study to an age-stratified, convenience sample of children and adolescents age 5 to 18 (n = 81) who were working on Wisconsin fresh market vegetable operations. Children and adolescents reported averaging 349 hours of farm work last year. Youths completed over 1/5 of all the tractor operation and produce loading and unloading that was completed by adults or children on their farms; 1/7 of the weeding, produce washing, and packing; and 1/12 of the hand harvesting during typical weeks when they worked. Fifty percent of 15-18 year olds reported experiencing low back discomfort in the last year, and 25% reported disabling discomfort. Children and adolescents performed the same range of tasks and often the same scope of work as adults. Further investigation with larger, more representative youth samples is needed to confirm these findings.

Language: en