Economic burden of agricultural machinery injuries in Ontario, 1985 to 1996.
BACKGROUND
Agricultural injuries are an important and understudied category of occupational injuries.


OBJECTIVE
This study estimated the economic burden of agricultural machinery injuries that occurred in Ontario, Canada's largest province, between 1985 and 1996.


METHODS
Conventional methodology for estimating economic burden, as embodied in a computer program previously developed for this purpose, was applied to hospitalized, nonhospitalized, and fatal agricultural machinery injuries.


RESULTS
The total economic burden of these injuries over the 12-year study period was estimated to be 228.1 million dollars, or 19.0 million dollars annually (1995 Canadian dollars, 3.0% discount rate). By extrapolation, the economic burden of all farm injuries in Canada is estimated to be between 200 and 300 million dollars annually.


CONCLUSIONS
Costing information about agricultural injuries provides support for the prioritization and development of injury-control initiatives.
Locker
Alison R
AR
Center for Health Services and Policy Research, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Dorland
John L
JL
Hartling
Lisa
L
Pickett
William
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000383:Agriculture / Q000295:instrumentation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*