ABSTRACT
<p>Sales of cut-flowers depend much on the outer appearance of the flowers. They are not intended to be used as foodstuffs; thus, pesticides are used more liberally for cut flower growing than for other agricultural products. Flower production is often carried out in greenhouses; therefore, pesticide exposure seems to reach not only the person spraying the pesticides, but also the non-spraying workers as well. In 2009, a special research project on pesticide poisoning, affiliated with the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine, developed a study that focused on cut-flower farmers’ exposure to pesticide, subsequent adverse symptoms experienced, and treatment modalities to relieve pesticide-related symptoms. In this group of farmers, the pesticide sprayers were almost entirely male, while the females did not do any spraying. The organophosphate metabolite level in the urine of the males was higher than that of the females. However, in the female group, a positive relation was found between average working times in the greenhouse, and urine concentration of dialkylphosphates. In 2 males of this group, the level of dimethylphosphate was detected at 1,000 times the median level. Their butyrylcholinesterase activity levels on the day of testing had declined to 64%, 72% of their average level of the proximate 4 years, respectively. Communication with these subjects regarding pesticide exposure and methods of prevention appeared to be an effective approach for reducing symptom severity. Among soil fumigants, chloropicrin and 1,3-dichloropropene were most often used. Difficulty breathing was one of the subjective symptoms associated with chloropicrin, as well as watery eyes, coughing, and runny nose. These symptoms were effectively suppressed by the preventative practice of wearing gas masks and goggles while using soil fumigants. It would be beneficial to strongly encourage use of suitable protective gear among farmers exposed to soil fumigants.</p>
ABSTRACT
To ensure the safe work of elderly farmers, we focused on the features of non-fatal, fall-related injuries not due to agricultural machines. Farmers’ compensation injury claims were utilized to characterize the fall-related injuries at work in Fukuoka prefecture between 2008 and 2009. A total of 1,040 (630 men) farmers’ compensation injury claims were analyzed. The age group with the highest percentage of fall accidents was 75 to 79 years for men, and 70 to 74 years for women. For the female group (≥65 years of age) compared with the reference group (≤64 years of age), the percentage of hip/back injuries by falls/slipping was higher (19.2% vs. 10.7%;p<0.05), but the percentage of hand/wrist injuries were lower (6.7% vs. 25.0%;p>0.05). The ladder/step ladder was the most frequent source of injury, causing falls/loss of balance in the female group, but the percentage was lower than that in the reference group (32.3% vs. 50.0%;p<0.05). Inclines were another source of injury due to falls/loss of balance in the female group with a percentage higher than that in the reference group (14.7% vs. 11.5%;p<0.05), but the tree/tree branch were sources of injury with a lower percentage (7.4% vs. 15.4%;p<0.05). Vegetable field/tea field were places of injury due to falls/tripping with a higher percentage in the female group vs the reference group (31.0% vs. 15.0%;p<0.01), but the barn/warehouse were places of injury with a lower percentage in the female group (8.5% vs. 30.0%;p<0.01). Fracture was the leading form of injury in all three types of fall accidents with a higher percentage among female farmers compared with male farmers (falls/slipping:62.5% vs. 35.5%, p<0.01;falls/loss of balance:61.8% vs. 45.9%, p<0.01;falls/tripping:49.3% vs. 34.4%, p<0.05). Our data suggest useful information that should be considered in ensuring the safe work of elderly farmers.
ABSTRACT
Sales of cut flowers depend much on outside appearance. They are not supposed to be, so pesticide is used more liberally for cut flower growing than for other agricultural products. When the annual group health checkups for cut-flower farmers were held in late-August in 2009, 2010, 2011, we sampled spot urines and measured four dialkylphosphates, the metabolites of the organo-phosphorous pesticide. At one time, concentrations of dimethylphosphate in 2 males were around 1,000-fold as much as the median of this group. Their serum cholinesterase activity levels at that time declined to 64% and 72% of their average measurements in the other years. These figures were comparable to the level that the pesticide spraying procedure should be revised, as suggested by the agricultural worker health system in California, United States which monitored cholinesterase activity levels in farmers. We had interviews with the two Japanese cut flower growers. One of them complained of unbearable cough with pyrethroid insecticide spraying. We advised him some measures in consideration of his history of respiratory disease. He decided not to use pyrethroid insecticides. Another man refused to talk about the pesticide exposure risk at first. But later on, we heard that he had decided to wear dust protective mask. The risk communication using the measurement of the index of pesticide exposure seemed to be a effective way to decrease pesticide exposure and its adverse effect. Although this procedure needs some trained interviewers and is sometimes refused by farmer, we are going to continue this type of dialogue from now on.
ABSTRACT
<b>Background:</b> The lack of information regarding nonfatal agricultural injuries has been recognized as an obstacle for effective injury prevention. The aim of this study was to describe gender differences in the pattern of nonfatal agricultural injuries between the years 2008 and 2009.<b>Methods:</b> Farmers’ compensation injury claims were utilized to determine the mechanisms involved (machinery, non-machinery, and traffic), types of accident, sources of injury, kinds of injury, body parts affected place of injury, work being performed at the time of injury, and length of hospitalization. Agricultural injuries were identified using the International Classification of External Causes of Injury (ICECI). The Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software was used for all statistical analyses. Study variables were compared using the Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test.<b>Results</b>: A total of 2,729 (1,921 males) farmers’ compensation injury claims were analyzed. There were approximately 9 times as many nonfatal agricultural machinery injuries in males compared with females. The most common machinery injuries were cuts resulting from a rotary blade (31%) for males and injuries caused by being struck by a machine (24%) for females in the 65–89 years of age group. The male:female ratio of non-machinery injuries averaged 2:1 (actual numbers of 1,293 and 676, respectively), but the percentage was higher for females (83.7%) than males (67.3%). For both males and females in the 65–89 years of age group, the main source of non-machinery injuries was slopes, the main type of accident was falling/slipping, the leading kind of injury was fracture, and the main work being performed was harvesting. Female farmers had a greater risk of prolonged hospitalization (more than 30 days) compared with males (p < 0.05).<b>Conclusions:</b> Gender is an important factor to consider in the interpretation of nonfatal agricultural injuries. A greater number of males had machinery injuries than females; however, a higher percentage of females had non-machinery injuries than males. Further research will be needed to understand the role of differential job tasks within agriculture in explaining the difference in risk.
ABSTRACT
Soil fumigants are used to control pests, fungi, and weeds before planting crops. As they are highly volatile and acutely toxic, farmers are often exposed to serious risks of poisoning by inhalation and contact. We investigated the use of soil fumigants and subjective symptoms of cut flower farmers by interviewing them. The subjects of this study consisted of 69 male farmers who came to health check, and we asked them about the names of soil fumigants they used in recent years, whether or not they wore the gas mask and the goggle, and whether they had had any subjective symptoms, and many other questions. Of the subjects, 68% said they used Chloropicrin and 64% gave D-D. Chloropicrin tablet and carbam were used by 15% of them, respectively. It was found that 38% of the chloropicrin users put on the gas mask, and that 32% put on the goggle. The occurrences of subjective symptoms differed with whether the farmer put on gas mask or goggle. The farmers without gas mask or goggle complained about watery eye (72%), couch (31%), runny nose (31%), breathing difficulties (21%), and eye irritation (19%). The farmers put into practice some measures to prevent chloropicrin exposure, as follows: Using the machine with injector crawls under the ground, working when gentle wind is blowing, working when the temperature of soil is low, and using the refrigerated chloropicrin. Some farmers and their wives informed that they had runny eye, sneeze when covering fumigated hillings with plastic films. The workers are recommended to put on the gas mask on working this process. The use of low-permeable film, developed in recent years, could economize on soil fumigants for cultivating some corps. It is hoped that the use of this new material will spread in cut flower farming and reduce risks of fumigant exposure.
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Objective: Job satisfaction and mental distress may contribute to mental illness, particularly in regard to depression and even suicide. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of job satisfaction and its relationship to the level of mental distress among farmers in comparison to non-farming rural residents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 7,000 rural residents was performed to assess the level of job satisfaction and mental distress. Mental distress was measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated by means of multivariate logistic regression models. Results: A total of 5,364 rural residents (1,888 farmers and 3,476 non-farmers) responded, therefore yielding a response rate of 76.6%. Twenty-five percent of the farmers and 24 percent of non-farmers were either very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with their jobs. Twenty-five percent of the farmers and 29 percent of non-farmers had mental distress (GHQ score of 4 or above). The crude odds ratio of mental distress among dissatisfied farmers in comparison to satisfied farmers was 4.38 (95% CI = 3.49-5.51). Similarly, the crude odds ratio of mental distress among dissatisfied non-farmers in comparison to satisfied non-farmers was 5.01 (95% CI = 4.19-5.98). These statistically significant odds ratios remained even after controlling for age, gender and family structure. The most important cause of mental distress among farmers was related to family finances. Among non-farmers, however, the most important cause of mental distress tended to be human relations in the workplace. Conclusion: Although farmers experienced similar levels of job satisfaction and mental distress in comparison to non-farmers, the most important cause of mental distress differed between farmers and non-farmers. As the underlying risks for this level of job satisfaction, family finances are therefore considered to be a potentially hazardous factor in regard to mental distress for farmers.
Subject(s)
Job SatisfactionABSTRACT
Objective: Due to the spread of new cultivation methods for strawberries, working conditions have changed in recent years. In addition, the average age of strawberry growers has been increasing. As a result, the need to take new measures to prevent physical fatigue in middle-aged strawberry growers has been increasing. Due to a general paucity of epidemiological studies, we investigated the relationship between physical fatigue and farmwork among middle-aged strawberry growers during the harvest season.Materials and Methods: A mail survey was carried out among 621 healthy Japanese strawberry growers (368 men and 253 women) in January 2003.Results: Lower back pain was the most frequent complaint (71% of males and 67% of females), followed by shoulder pain (45% of males and 59% of females), and eye pain (46% of males and 57% of females). After adjusting for such factors as age, working hours, and sleeping hours using a multiple logistic regression analysis, lower back pain demonstrated the strongest association with the application of gibberellins at bloom among males (odds ratio 2.0) and with the harvesting of strawberries among females (odds ratio 1.8). Shoulder pain had the strongest association with the removal of older leaves among males (odds ratio 1.9) and with the harvesting of strawberries among females (odds ratio 2.2). Eye pain had the strongest association with the clipping of needless runners among males (odds ratio 1.6) and with the application of gibberellins at bloom among females (odds ratio 2.4).Conclusion: Although the three main types of physical fatigue -- lower back pain, shoulder pain, and eye pain -- tended to have a similar prevalence, the related farmwork differed between males and females. Our results therefore suggest that it is necessary to take appropriate measures based on gender differences in order to prevent physical fatigue in middle-aged strawberry growers. Consequently, there is now an urgent need to evaluate ergonomic intervention in a controlled trial.
Subject(s)
Fatigue , Shoulder Pain , Seasons , PainABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: With the spread of new cultivation methods of strawberries, working conditions have been changed in recent years. Strawberry growers have also been advanced in age. And now, the need to take new measures against physiological fatigue in strawberry growers has become pressing. We investigated the relationship between physiological fatigue and risk factors among middle-aged strawberry growers due to a paucity of such epidemiological studies. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were mailed to strawberry growers. SETTING: A rural district in southern part of Japan. SUBJECTS: A total of 1,113 healthy strawberry growers (681 men and 432 women) who were 40—69 years of age. RESULTS: Prevalence of low back pain was the highest (74.0% of males and 73.8% of females), followed by shoulder stiffness and/or pain (49.6% of males and 60.4% of females), and eyestrain (45.2% of males and 50.9% of females). After adjustment of age, working hours, and sleeping hours using a logistic regression analysis, low back pain had the strongest association with agricultural-chemicals spraying among males (odds ratio 2.0; 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 2.8), but there was no significantly association among females. Shoulder stiffness and/or pain had the strongest association with removing old leaves among males (odds ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 2.2), and with agricultural-chemicals spraying among females (odds ratio 1.6; 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 2.4). Eyestrain had the strongest association with strawberry sorting among males (odds ratio 2.7; 95% confidence interval 1.9 to 3.8) and with strawberry harvesting among females (odds ratio 3.2; 95% confidence interval 2.0 to 5.1). CONCLUSON: Although the main physiological fatigue among males and females were similar in prevalence, related risk factors differed, and thus the results suggest that it is necessary to take measures against physiological fatigue in consideration of sex difference in the case of middled-aged strawberry growers.
Subject(s)
Fatigue , Risk Factors , FragariaABSTRACT
For simplification of dealings in the central wholesale markets and reduction ofexpenditures in the marketing systems, the standards of shipment are provided for almost all agricultural products as general commodities. In addition to harvesting, the farmers must sort and pack the agricultural products in accordance with the standards of shipment. This has resulted in an increase in the farmers' workloads.<BR>Therefore we investigated the workloads of strawberry-growing farmers during sorting and packing strawberries.<BR>According to the sandard of shipment, strawberries are graded into three categories by quality, six categories by size and three categories by weight, and that combination is very complicated. The farmers spend much time sorting and packing strawberries. Particularly in February and March when strawberries of all sizes are shipped, sorting and packing occupy more than60% of all working hours. The smaller in size the strawberries become, the more time the farmers spend on sorting and packing a pack. We investigated the farmers' work postures, Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency (CFF) and heart rate during work. The results of the investigation showed that sortingand packing strawberries constituted hard physical and mental labour because of the complicated standards. Inquiries regarding awareness of the standards of shipment revealed that 84.3% of the strawberry growing farmers recognized the necessity of the standard of shipment. But 64% of them hoped to make the standards simpler. Simplication of the standards of shipment might reduce farmers' workloads and moreover give consumers benefit.
ABSTRACT
In order to find some countermeasures to relieve the workload upon the lower back due to harvesting and sorting strawberries, prevalence of localized fatigue complaints and flexibility of spine of strawberry farmers were compared with eggplant farmers. Furthermore time study, global EMG and biomechanical analysis of body postures during harvesting strawberries and so forth were performed. Obtained results are as follows:<BR>1) As for the localized fatigue complaints during the one month soon after harvesting season, prevalence of the lower back pain was 58.1% in men and 82.5% in women. As to the body part where fatigue feeling appears during harvesting strawberries, most of the farmers pointed out the lower back.<BR>2) Flexibility of the spine was disturbed in some degree compared with the eggplant farmers.<BR>3) The specific stooping posture with the left forearm supported by the left thigh just above the knee was sometimes observed and was suspected to relieve the load upon the lower back. This posture was proved to decrease the moment upon the lower back, to straighten the unnatural curvature of thoracolumbar spine, and relieve the muscle tension of legs.<BR>4) Too short leisure season in the strawberry cultivation and too short sleeping hours due to long working hours during harvesting season were considered to accelarate the accumulative localized fatigue in the lower back.
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Environmental contamination caused by the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), such as BHC and DDT, as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), is an important problem because of their accumulation in human bodies due to their high lipophilic properties and high chemical stability. In this study, we have investigated the actual condition of the BHC, DDT and PCB levels in the plasma of farmers in the three districts of Japan and in China. At the time of the blood sampling, about 10years had passed since the use of OCPs was forbidden in Japan, whereas OCPs were being used in China.<BR>The blood samples were collected from following 4 districts:(a) Northern Kyushu (N =67), (b) Tomishiro in Okinawa prefecture (N=24), (c) Yokote in Akita prefecture (N = 36) and (d) Harbin in China (N =21).<BR>The results are as follows:<BR>1) β-BHC was detected in all of the 148 plasma samples with the range of 0.9-48.4 ppb. Percentage of the samples with the β-BHC level higher than 20 ppb was 2%(3 samples) for the Japanese and 57%(12 samples) for the Chinese.<BR>2) p, p'-DDT and p, p'-DDE were detected in all samples and total-DDT was ranged from 2.4 to 49.9 ppb. Percentage of the samples with the total-DDT level higher than 20 ppb was 43%(9 samples) for the Chinese and 8%(10 samples) for the Japanese. DDT level of Chinese was significantly higher than those of farmers in Northern Kyushu and Yokote.<BR>3) PCBs were detected in all of the Japanese samples (n=127) with the range of 1.1-22.8 ppb. Whereas the PCB level of 15 samples of Chinese women was less than 1.0 ppb and that of other 4 samples of Chinese men was higher than 10 ppb.<BR>From these results, regional difference in the residue of OCPs and PCBs in Japanese was discussed, besides the difference in that of OCPs beteween Japanese and Chinese was discussed in relation to the history of the use of OCPs.
ABSTRACT
Many of the Japanese farmers engaging in strawberry cultivation in green houses complaint of low back pain, shoulder stiffness and others. These complaints are considered to be caused partly by the bowing postures when picking strawberries and partly by the traditional sitting _postures on <I>tatami</I> mats or floor of a living room when sorting and packing strawberries.<BR>In the present study, an ergonomic improvement of the traditional work postures was intended by adopting a sitting work posture on a seat. Based on the data of an experimental study, we advised the farmers to adopt the sitting posture on a seat. Later on, a fact-finding survey was performed on them. The exchange of the traditional work postures for the sitting posture on a seat proved to decrease localized fatigue and to increase work efficiency. From the results of the survey and ergonomic considerations, the sitting work posture on a seat under the following ergonomic conditions was concluded to be valid:<BR>1) A seat adjustable in height with a backrest and casters is recommended. The height should be adjusted to [(body height) ×1/4-1] cm above the floor.<BR>2) A strawberry container (size: 40cm×60cm×10cm in the present study) is put on the table that consists of only a top board and legs. The container should have the inclination of 15°.<BR>3) The height of the container brim of a farmer's side should be adjusted to [(body height) ×7/17-2] cm above the floor.<BR>4) The horizontal distance between the container and the iliospinale anterius of the farmer's body should be about 20cm.<BR>5) The seat and table should be used in a workshop with enough illumination, moderate temperature and flat floor.