TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - Gender differences in depressive symptoms and work environment factors among dairy farmers in Japan JO - International journal of environmental research and public health A1 - Sato, Miho A1 - Kato, Hiromi A1 - Noguchi, Makiko A1 - Ono, Hiroshi A1 - Kobayashi, Kuniyuki SP - e2569 EP - e2569 VL - 17 IS - 7 N2 - Dairy farmers are more likely than nonfarmers to experience high demands and are at risk of mental health problems. However, there is scarce evidence on the current state of psychological health and related factors among dairy farmers, and the knowledge of potential gender differences is limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and its association with work environment characteristics and to identify gender differences. Data were collected from 273 dairy farmer participants (169 males and 104 females) in Japan. Females were more likely to be depressed, and young and middle-aged women appeared to be at risk of depression. For both genders, a demanding work environment was related to depression. There were some gender differences; for example, worries about the harmful effects of pesticides on health and the balancing of family roles and work roles were related to depression in men, while worries about one's financial situation and the health status of livestock were associated with depression in women. Females benefited from support through direct interaction, while males benefited from involvement in social activities. These findings will contribute to the development of a gender-specific approach to promote psychological health in the dairy farming community.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1661-7827 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072569 ID - ref1 ER -