title: Musculoskeletal pain among Midwest farmers and associations with agricultural activities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although agricultural workers experience a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, associations between specific agricultural activities and musculoskeletal pain are not well characterized.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 518 regional farmers, responses to a mailed questionnaire were used to estimate (i) the 2-week prevalence of low back, neck/shoulder, and elbow/wrist/hand pain, and (ii) associations between the average hours per week performing common agricultural activities and musculoskeletal pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The low back was the most common location of musculoskeletal pain (33.2%), followed by the neck/shoulder (30.8%) and elbow/wrist/hand (21.6%). Statistically significant adjusted associations were observed between performing equipment repair and maintenance and low back pain; milking animals and neck/shoulder pain; and manual material handling and elbow/wrist/hand pain, among others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observed prevalence estimates are consistent with previous literature, and the associations between agricultural activities and musculoskeletal pain provide an initial basis for targeted intervention research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Nathan B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Fethke
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Merlino
authors.forename: Fredric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerr
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Schall
authors.forename: Cassidy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Branch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000293:injuries; D014937:Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: agriculture; epidemiology; ergonomics; musculoskeletal pain