Musculoskeletal pain among Midwest farmers and associations with agricultural activities. Issue 3 (23rd October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fethke, Nathan B.; Merlino, Linda A.; Gerr, Fredric; Schall, Mark C.; Branch, Cassidy A.
• Is Part Of: American journal of industrial medicine. Volume 58:Issue 3(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 319
• Page End: 330
• Publication Date: 2014-10-23
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Médecine du travail -- Périodiques; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22398
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-3586

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="ajim22398-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Although agricultural workers experience a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, associations between specific agricultural activities and musculoskeletal pain are not well characterized.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22398-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Among 518 regional farmers, responses to a mailed questionnaire were used to estimate (i) the 2‐week prevalence of low back, neck/shoulder, and elbow/wrist/hand pain, and (ii) associations between the average hours per week performing common agricultural activities and musculoskeletal pain.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22398-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>The low back was the most common location of musculoskeletal pain (33.2%), followed by the neck/shoulder (30.8%) and elbow/wrist/hand (21.6%). Statistically significant adjusted associations were observed between <italic>performing equipment repair and maintenance</italic> and low back pain; <italic>milking animals</italic> and neck/shoulder pain; and <italic>manual material handling</italic> and elbow/wrist/hand pain, among others.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22398-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>The observed prevalence estimates are consistent with previous literature, and the associations between agricultural activities and musculoskeletal pain provide an initial basis for targeted intervention research. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:319–330, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</p> </sec> </abstract>