title: Participatory research and service-learning among farmers, health professional students, and experts: an agromedicine approach to farm safety and health.
abstract: Agromedicine developments in Alabama rest heavily on the interest and support of the farm community. Participatory approaches have been advocated in order to impact the safety and health of farms. The University of Alabama Agromedicine Research Team, working closely with and guided by farmers, places emphasis on identifying areas of farmer concern related to agricultural health and safety and on developing jointly with the farmers plans to address their concerns. Agricultural extension agents were key to developing the trust relationships among farmers, health professionals, and extension personnel required for these successful agricultural safety and health developments. In this article the authors describe how the research team engaged farmers in participatory research to develop service learning activities for graduate students studying Agricultural Safety and Health at The University of Alabama. Accepting farmers' active role in research processes creates an environment that is favorable to change, while providing farmers reassurance that their health and safety is of utmost importance to the researchers.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama Department of Community and Rural Medicine, Box 870327, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA. smguin@bama.ua.edu
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Guin
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wheat
authors.forename: Russell S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Allinder
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Fanucchi
authors.forename: Oscar S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Wiggins
authors.forename: Gwendolyn J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000407:Alabama; D003256:Community Participation; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D006801:Humans; D012423:Rural Health; D012449:Safety; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D000078329:Workforce