Supporting farmer wellbeing: exploring a potential role for farm advisory staff.

INTRODUCTION: Farmers in Ireland experience poor health outcomes and are considered 'hard to reach'. Agricultural advisors ('advisors') are uniquely positioned to support and signpost farmers on health issues. This paper explores the acceptability and terms of reference of a potential health role for advisors, and offers key recommendations for developing a bespoke farmers' health training programme. METHODS: Following ethical approval, eleven focus groups (n=26 female, n=35 male, age-range 20s-70s) were conducted with farmers (n=4), advisors (n=4), farming organisations (n=2) and farmers' 'significant others' (n=1). Utilizing Thematic Content Analysis, transcripts were coded iteratively and emerging themes were grouped into primary and subthemes. RESULTS: Our analysis identified three themes. 'Scope and acceptability of a potential health role for advisors' examines how participants envision and are receptive to such a role. 'Roles, responsibilities and boundaries' considers both a health promotion and 'health connector' advisory role - normalising health conversations and signposting farmers to services/supports. Finally, 'trouble-shooting potential obstacles to advisors assuming a health role' reflects on the barriers that may impede advisors capacity or potential to have a broader health role. DISCUSSION: Within the context of the stress process theory, findings provide unique insights into how advisory can mediate stress and contribute to farmers' health and wellbeing. Finally, findings have important implications for potentially extending the reach of training to other aspects of farming support services (eg agri-banking, agri-business, veterinary services etc.), as well as serving as a springboard for the development of similar initiatives in other jurisdictions.

"That's Me I am the Farmer of the Land": Exploring Identities, Masculinities, and Health Among Male Farmers' in Ireland.

Compared to other occupational groups, farmers in Ireland experience a disproportionate burden of health problems, which impact farmers' livelihoods and farming sustainability. Internationally, farmers' poor health outcomes are associated with intersecting economic, environmental, socio-cultural, and occupation-specific factors linked to changes in agricultural governance. This qualitative study explored the challenges and stressors facing farmers in Ireland and how changes in farming governance have impacted farmers' identities, masculinities and health. Eleven focus groups (n = 26 female, n = 35 male, age-range 20s-70s) were conducted with both male farmers (n = 3 focus groups; n = 13) and key informants (n = 8 focus groups; n = 48, 22 male, 26 female). Utilizing Thematic Content Analysis, transcripts were coded independently by the first and second author using open and comparative coding techniques, with emerging themes grouped into primary and subthemes. Theme memos and conceptual maps tracked evolving relationships between themes. The analysis identified three broad themes. "Wrestling with challenges to autonomy and control within farming" examines the impact of tighter regulatory frameworks associated with changes to farming governance and unpacks other challenges associated with scale and succession. "Farming masculinities and health" explores how farming masculinities were closely aligned with farming practices and health practices and were framed relationally. "Isolation and the demise of rural communities" considers the impact of reduced social interaction on loneliness among farmers, particularly among more "at risk" single and older farmers. Findings provide unique insights into contemporary challenges and stressors facing farmers and have important implications for informing the design and roll-out of a national farmers' health training program.