Nonfatal Injury Experiences among Women on Family Farms

Abstract

Agricultural injury occurrence was determined among 1,096 working farm women in Texas and Louisiana. The 1-year cumulative incidence was 4.8%. Lower extremities were the body parts most frequently injured. The leading external causes were contact with foreign object, followed by falls and overdoing/lifting. The seasonal pattern of injury was consistent with warm weather. The factors predictive of increased injury risk in multiple logistic regression included large animal farm type, greater time commitment, recurrent or persistent back conditions or weakness during the previous 12 months, hauling goods to market, and driving a tractor more than 52 days per year. Most women consulted a physician as a result of the injury. Resolving the problem of preventable farm-related injuries will require a major and coordinated effort aimed not only at farm women themselves but also at multiple variables that profoundly affect the underlying conditions and behaviors that lead to farm-related injuries.