A multidimensional tool to measure farm stressors: development and initial validation of the farmer stress assessment tool (FSAT).

BACKGROUND: Farming is a stressful occupation, and a growing body of research shows that farm stressors are associated with poor mental health. To date, there are few methodologically sound surveys that assess farm stressors, and none have been validated for the Canadian context. Our study aimed to: (a) investigate the types of stressors experienced by farmers, (b) develop a farm stress assessment tool and test its factor structure and internal consistency, and (c) assess its criterion-related validity to self-reported levels of anxiety, depression, burnout, and resilience among farmers. METHODS: We developed a 20-item survey based on a review of the literature, examining existing farm stress surveys, and consulting 10 farmers and agricultural industry experts. Then, a convenience sample of farmers living in Alberta, Canada (Sample 1, N = 354) completed a questionnaire containing the 20-item farm stress survey and four validated measures that assessed depression, anxiety, burnout, and resilience. Sample 1 was used to assess the factor structure using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), internal consistency, and criterion-validity of the survey. Next, a convenience sample of farmers living outside of Alberta (Sample 2, N = 138) was used to evaluate the factor structure of the survey using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: The results of the EFA revealed five underlying dimensions of farm stressors: Unexpected work disruptions, Agricultural hazards, Farm and financial planning, Isolation, and Regulations and public pressure. The subscales accounted for 61.6% of the variance, and the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) ranged from 0.66 to.75. Subscale correlations were below 0.44, indicating evidence of discriminant validity. Correlations between the five subscales and the four mental health outcome variables supported the criterion-related validity of the survey. The results of the CFA indicated that the data fit the model, and fit was further improved by correlating one pair of error terms. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary analysis of our Farmer Stress Assessment Tool (FSAT) suggests it is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring a range of stressors farmers face. Implications for policy and community-based mental health interventions that help farmers manage the enduring stressors of agriculture is discussed.

Wheat and sorghum residue removal for expanded uses increases sediment and nutrient loss in runoff.

Crop residue removal for expanded uses such as feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol production may increase loss of sediment and nutrients in runoff. We assessed on-farm impacts of variable rates of residue removal from no-till winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and plow till grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] on sediment, soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient losses in runoff in western Kansas. Five treatments with three replications consisting of removing residues at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% after harvest under two tillage levels for wheat (no-till and freshly tilled) and grain sorghum (spring tilled and freshly tilled) were established on 1x2 m plots. Simulated rainfall was applied at 115+/-3 mm h(-1) for 30 min. Compared with plots without residue removal, complete removal increased runoff by 61% in freshly tilled wheat plots, 225% in spring-tilled sorghum plots, and 94% in freshly tilled sorghum plots. Residue removal at rates as low as 50% increased loss of sediment. Complete removal doubled the sediment loss to 14 Mg ha(-1) in tilled wheat, whereas it increased sediment loss from 0.9 to 7.2 Mg ha(-1) in no-till wheat. No-till with 100% residue removal lost as much sediment as freshly tilled wheat plots with 0 or 25% removal. Residue removal at 75 and 100% increased losses of total N, total P, and SOC associated with sediment. Overall, excessive residue removal led to large losses of sediment, sediment-bound SOC, and nutrients in runoff. Furthermore, erosion protection provided by no-till management is lost when residue removal exceeds 25%.

Swimming Against the Current: A Qualitative Review of the Work Experiences and Adaptations Made by Employees With Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the experiences and strategies of employees with arthritis to maintain employment, and to use this information to build a conceptual model. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies that examined the work experiences of employees with arthritis. Published studies on arthritis and employment were searched from electronic databases (1980-2017) and bibliographic reviews of relevant studies. We used meta-ethnography to synthesize the findings. RESULTS: We reviewed 17 studies that reported on the experiences of 873 employees. We identified 11 main themes that highlight common issues experienced by employees with arthritis and grouped these into 4 higher-order categories: changing nature of the disease (emotional issues, cognitive struggles, unpredictable physical symptoms), intrapersonal issues (personal meaning of work, preserving a work identity), interpersonal issues (managing disclosure, gaining coworker support, organizational culture issues), and work-sustainability strategies (making personal adjustments, using social support, using workplace accommodations). Using these themes, we developed the Job Sustainability Model to illustrate how disease, personal, and work-related factors interact to influence what type of coping behaviors are used and when. Initially, employees with arthritis rely on making personal adjustments, using social support, and medical intervention. However, when these coping behaviors fail to be effective, they draw upon workplace accommodations and resources. CONCLUSION: Arthritis disrupts an employee's work life by impairing his or her capacity to be a productive worker. Our results highlight how employees with arthritis make strategic adaptations to maintain a productive work life for as long as possible. The findings of this study have implications for work-related interventions aimed at preserving employment.

Exercise studies after the Mustard operation in transposition of the great arteries.

Twenty-one postoperative patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) underwent graded exercise testing 4 to 15 years (mean 9) after the Mustard operation. No patient had subjective exercise intolerance before testing, although some had symptomatic resting arrhythmias. Correlations were made between cardiac catheterization data and 24-hour ambulatory monitoring. Exercise tolerance was diminished in nearly half of the patients. No statistically significant differences were found in heart rate or blood pressure responses, but maximal oxygen consumption values were lower than the control values (p less than 0.001) in the larger patients. Arrhythmias were present or provoked in most patients during exercise testing. Only 28% remained in normal sinus rhythm during and after exercise. Multifocal premature contractions were the most serious arrhythmias demonstrated. Some long-term survivors of the Mustard operation may have abnormal exercise dynamics, even though they may be asymptomatic and have normal physical activities and endurance. Mean maximal systolic blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and maximal treadmill times were consistently in the low-normal range or were statistically lower than normal.

The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: factor structure and invariance among persons with chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) assesses positive changes after a traumatic or serious life crisis. However, there are differing views regarding its factor structure and little understanding if it captures the positive changes experienced among individuals diagnosed with a chronic disease. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the proposed five-factor structure and measurement invariance of the PTGI was examined using two chronic illness samples: arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHOD: Individuals diagnosed with arthritis (n = 301) or IBD (n = 544) recruited from the community and the Internet completed the PTGI. Using a pooled sample, CFA tested five hypothesized models of the underlying factors structure of the PTGI. A stepwise procedure for testing the measurement invariance across the two groups evaluated the factor structure, factorial invariance, and latent mean invariance. RESULTS: Using the pooled sample, the CFA supported the hypothesized five-factor model, revealing the PTGI is multidimensional. Multigroup CFA supported invariance of the PTGI across the two groups although there were significant differences in latent means. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support that the PTGI assesses five related dimensions of PTG and that different chronic disease groups experience different types of positive changes. PTG may therefore be relevant as a meaningful treatment goal for people with chronic diseases as it is for people affected by other traumatic events.

Determination of the fate of alcohol ethoxylate homologues in a laboratory continuous activated-sludge unit study.

Environmental monitoring indicates that the distribution of alcohol ethoxylate (AE) homologues in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents differs from the distribution in commercial AE products, with a relative higher proportion of fatty alcohol (AOH, which is AE with zero ethoxylation). To determine the contribution of AE-derived AOH to the total concentration of AE and AOH in WWTP effluents, we conducted a laboratory continuous activated-sludge study (CAS). This consisted of a test unit fed with AE-amended synthetic sewage and a control unit fed with only synthetic sewage to avoid AE contamination from the feed. The removal efficiencies of some 114 AE homologues were determined by the application of a specific and sensitive analytical method. The extent of the removal of AE ranged from 99.70% for C18 compounds to > 99.98% for C12-16. Relatively high-AOH concentrations were observed in the effluents from blank and test units. By building the concentration difference from the test minus the control unit, the AE in the CAS effluent originating from AE in the influent was determined. Thus, it could be shown that AOH represented only 19% of the total AE (EO0-18) in the CAS, while monitoring in 29 WWTP effluents (European, Canadian, and US) revealed in total a mean AOH fraction of 55% (5-82%) of the total AE (EO0-18). This shows that only a small fraction of AOH in WWTP effluents originates from AE entering the WWTP.