Recruitment of Row Crop Farmers into a Research Study to Assess Farm Hazards.

Farmers are at an elevated risk for injuries and are, therefore, highly sought after for research studies. However, their participation in research studies is low. We examine how characteristics of the farmer, farm location, and timing of recruitment contact impact the probability that farmers will engage and participate in a study of injuries and related farm hazards. Study data were obtained from the Farm Safety Study conducted at the University of Iowa between June 2019 and March 2020. We used recruitment data from participants enrolled using Farm Journal magazine subscription lists. Multinomial logistic regression was used for predictive modeling. Predictor variables included the time of day and the farm season in which phone contact for study recruitment was attempted, as well as the rurality of the farm. Two models were created to characterize screening and participation of farmers in the study. Farm season and time of day of the last recruitment call increased the likelihood of farmers being screened for study participation and completing the study. Specifically, contacting farmers during the growing season and during the daytime, regardless of farm rurality, resulted in higher probabilities of participation. Studies of agricultural injury may be more efficiently conducted, with higher participation responses, when circumstances of the recruitment call are considered. This work serves as a starting place for much-needed methodological research to identify factors that increase participation of farmers and farm workers in research studies.

Development of a Checklist to Identify Injury Hazards on Row Crop Farms in the Midwestern United States.

Agriculture is among the most dangerous industries in the U.S., yet routine surveillance of injury hazards is not currently being conducted on a national level. The objectives of this study were to describe a new tool, called the Hazard Assessment Checklist (HAC), to identify and characterize farm hazards that increase injury risk to farmers and farm workers, and (2) report the inter-rater reliability of the new tool when administered on row-crop farms in Iowa. Based on a literature review and a consensus of expert opinion, the HAC included hazards related to self-propelled vehicles, powered portable implements, fixed machinery and equipment, farm buildings and structures, fall risks, and portable equipment associated with fall risk. A scoring metric indicating the extent of compliance with recommended safety guidelines and standards was developed for each item of the HAC, which included compliant, minimal improvement needed, substantial improvement needed, and not compliant. Inter-rater reliability was assessed from data collected by research staff on 52 row crop farms in Iowa. Cohen's weighted Kappa values demonstrated high inter-rater reliability, ranging between 0.86 and 0.94, for all HAC sections. The HAC can be completed in 1.5-2 hours on each farm and requires about three hours of training, two hours of which are spent in field training. The ability to monitor injury-related hazards over time using an empirically driven tool will contribute significantly to injury prevention efforts in an industry with consistently high rates of fatal and nonfatal injury.