Agricultural tasks and injuries among Kentucky farm children: results of the Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project.

The research article discusses a study on the incidence of injuries related to agricultural tasks among children working on family farms in Kentucky. The study reveals that farm work injuries among this population, particularly among adolescent boys, could be higher than previously reported.

Methodology

• The data for the study was collected in 1994 to 1995 as part of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project.
• A two-stage cluster design was employed to select a random sample of farm children in 60 counties of Kentucky.
• A 30-minute telephone interview was conducted primarily with the mothers of these children, gathering information about farm-related tasks and any associated injuries their children experienced while working.

Findings

• It was found that chores related to tobacco and beef cattle production were common among children aged 5 to 18 years.
• 29 children sustained injuries in the span of a year while performing farm-related work.
• The crude injury rate derived from these findings was 2.8 per 100 children with a 95% confidence interval of 1.7-3.8.
• The highest injury rate was reported among boys aged 16 to 18 years at 9.2 per 100 children.
• The main causes of nonfatal farm work injuries included farm machinery, cattle and horses, falls from heights, and contact with inanimate objects.

Conclusions

• The study suggests that the rate of farm work injuries among adolescent boys may be higher than what was previously reported in Kentucky and other states.
• The identification of common agricultural tasks allows for the development of targeted interventions for the prevention of these injuries.
• Particularly, the chores related to tobacco and beef cattle production which were found to be common in this population should be prioritized in injury prevention efforts.