Health of farmers in southland: an overview.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the health of farmers in Southland.


METHODS
Coss-sectional study of a random sample of farmers in Southland.


RESULTS
586 individuals were interviewed from 286 farms with a response rate of 65.4%. The prevalence of at least one injury in the last twelve months which prevented normal farm work was 17.1%. Low back pain was common with 54.6% reporting such an episode in the last twelve months. Noise-induced hearing loss was prevalent among men with 28.7% of those 45 years and over being affected. Levels of asthma appeared low with a point prevalence of 6.8%, with 4.6% on medication. There were 19.3% of male farmers who were obese. The prevalence of alcohol use disorder among men aged 15-24 years was 57.4%, and 39.0% among farm workers. Similarly, 32.0% of men in this age-group smoked, with 35.6% of farm workers being smokers.


CONCLUSIONS
Farmers experienced high levels of injury, low back pain and noise-induced hearing loss. Community intervention programmes to prevent injury remain a priority for farmers, although lifestyle factors should also be addressed, particularly among farm workers.
Firth
H
H
New Zealand Environmental and Occupational Health Research Centre, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Otago Medical School, Dunedin. preventive-medicine@otago.ac.nz
Herbison
P
P
McBride
D
D
Feyer
A M
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution