TY - JOUR
PY - 2021//
TI - Obesity and work-related injuries among farmers in Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia
JO - Workplace health and safety
A1 - Hunsucker, Sharon
A1 - Reed, Deborah B.
SP - ePub
EP - ePub
VL - ePub
IS - ePub
N2 - BACKGROUND: Obesity is a recognized risk factor for work-related injuries (WRI). Despite the inherent safety hazards associated with farm work, research on obesity among farmers is limited giving little guidance to occupational health providers on obesity as a risk factor in farm WRI. This study evaluated the association between obesity and farm WRI.
METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from farmers (n = 100) in Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Data included a survey (demographic data, farm factors, health indicators, occurrences of work-related injuries consistent with the definition of Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] recordable injuries) and direct anthropometric measures (height, weight, and waist circumference). Logistic regression was used to model any work-related injury, injuries consistent with the definition of OSHA recordables (herein called OSHA-recordable injuries), and recurrent injuries occurring during farm work performance on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
FINDINGS: Twenty-five percent of the participants reported any injuries, and 18% reported OSHA-recordable injuries. Farmers with a BMI ≥30 kg/m(2) had 3 times the risk for OSHA-recordable injuries and 5 times the risk for recurrent injuries. No significant relationship was identified between waist circumference and farm WRI.
CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that increased BMI is a safety risk for farmers. Prospective studies with a larger sample are needed. Occupational health nurses and providers should educate farmers on the potential safety risk of obesity and implement weight management programs addressing obesity in farmers. Language: en
LA - en
SN - 2165-0799
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/21650799211026678
ID - ref1
ER -