| Western Center for Agricultural Health
and Safety University of California, Davis Epidemiologic perspective of agricultural injuries Steven McCurdy, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA Epidemiology allows us to examine patterns of disease and risk factors in populations, thus yielding insight into the magnitude of disease-related health burden, causal mechanism, and potential preventive measures. Yet the epidemiologic view can be clouded by misreporting and bias. In the case of agricultural injury, surveillance, where it exists, is probably strongly affected by underreporting. Nevertheless, data consistently support the view of agriculture as a high-risk industry for injury. Underreporting may exist in different degrees among different agricultural subpopulations (e.g., farmers vs. farm workers), yet no examination of underreporting has been undertaken. Serious injury typically is related to machinery, falls, and animals. Risk factors for injury include young or advanced age, male sex, part-time work, and various personal health habits and characteristics. Because many risk factors have been identified only in specific settings (e.g., dairy farms), generalizability to other agricultural populations is uncertain. Epidemiology has been underutilized in developing preventive programs and testing the efficacy of such programs. This leads to potential inefficient use of resources. UC Davis Health System is pleased to provide this information for general reference purposes only. It should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice. You are urged to consult with your health care provider for diagnosis of and treatment for any health-related condition. The information provided herein may not and should not be used for diagnosis and treatment. Reproduction of material on this web site is hereby granted solely for personal use. No other use of this material is authorized without prior written approval of UC Regents. |