Farm Work (farm + work)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


P58 Multisensitization to plants: clinical case

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 3 2004
António Luís Santos
We observed a 65 years old male patient with pruritus, scaling erythema and liquenification areas on the face, neck, forearms and hands. For six years he had a story of episodic crisis of exsudative erythema associated with farm work. The skin biopsy showed irregular acantosis with slight hyperkeratosis and a mild multifocal lymphohistiocytic infiltrate, with many eosinophils. The patch tests with the Contact Dermatitis Portuguese Group of Study standard tray were positive for colophony, perfume mix and lactone mix. The patch tests with plant series were positive to atranorin, usnic acid, alantolactone, Parthenolide, lichen mix, Frulania dilatata, Achillea millefolium and Tanacetum extracts. Treatment was started with oral prednisone and hydroxyzine plus topical hydrocortisone and emollient cream with great improvement. The patient was advised about the avoidance of possible allergens sources. This kind of multisensitization to plants is an uncommon finding and poses diagnostic and therapeutic problems. This patient had a sustained recovery by avoiding farm work and by removal of in house plants. [source]


Farm work exposure of older male farmers in Saskatchewan,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 7 2010
Donald C. Voaklander PhD
Abstract Background The average age of farmers in North America is increasing each year. Research has determined that age and health status are both related to increased risk of injury. The purpose of this research was to determine the association of health and medication factors with exposure to farm work in older male farmers. Methods As part of a cohort study to study determinants of injury on Saskatchewan farms, 5,502 farm people associated with 2,386 Saskatchewan farms were surveyed by mail questionnaire during the winter of 2007. The primary dependent variable was average hours per week of farm work. Independent variables included illnesses, age, and medication use. Results The mean number of hours worked per week by farmers aged 55 years and older was 48. There was a significant relationship between age and hours worked with each year of age accounting for about 0.85,hr less work per week. Medication use was related to a reduction in weekly work hours during the busy fall season but was not related to work exposure averaged over the whole year. In multivariable linear regression analysis, the main contributing variables to farm work exposure were: retired status (,), working off farm (,), and age (,). Conclusion The amount of hours older farmers work on the farm is considerable compared to any other occupational category. While there is a declining trend in the amount of work, a 75-year-old farmer still works, on average, about 34,hr per week. Some farmers do appear to self-limit during busy times of the year if they are taking medication. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:706,715, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Chronic disease risk in central New York dairy farmers: Results from a large health survey 1989,1999

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2005
Paul L. Jenkins PhD
Abstract Background The agricultural workplace presents a variety of health and safety hazards; it is unknown whether farm work may be a risk factor for certain chronic diseases. Methods The health survey data from a large rural population in central New York were used from two studies (1989, 1999) to assess both 1999 prevalence and 10-year incidence of self-reported diabetes, heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension among farm (predominantly dairy) and non-farm residents. The 1999 asthma prevalence was also assessed. Results Multiple logistic regression models for 1999 prevalence found statistically significant protective effects of farming for hypertension (OR,=,0.83, P,=,0.0105) and hypercholesterolemia (OR,=,0.853, P,=,0.0522). Non-significant results were seen for heart disease (OR,=,0.67, P,=,0.128) and diabetes (OR,=,0.856, P,=,0.1358). The model for 1999 asthma prevalence showed a significantly elevated risk for farming (OR,=,1.542, P,=,0.0004). Logistic models created for the 10-year incidence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and heart disease did not show a significant effect for farming. Conclusions The protective effect of farming observed for the 1999 prevalence of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia was not seen for the 10-year incidence of these diseases. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:20,26, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Unions without Borders: Organizing and Enlightening Immigrant Farm Workers

ANTHROPOLOGY OF WORK REVIEW, Issue 2 2009
David Griffith
Abstract Farm workers pose special problems for union organizing due to their legal status, their high rates of turnover, their employment through subcontracts, and the temporary and seasonal dimensions of farm work. Yet by organizing farm workers, unions have developed and refined strategies that point to methods of meeting the challenges of contemporary work environments in and out of agriculture. This includes organizing workers across fragmented space, whether transnational or transregional, and organizing workers who are sifted into production regimes via subcontractual relationships. This paper examines two farm worker unions , the Farm Labor Organizing Committee and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers , in terms of their successes and failures with farm labor organizing. It finds that boycotts, the use of fine arts, balancing local and transnational interests, and building relationships based on confianza (trust) are critical to the formation and maintenance of effective union organization. [source]


Self-selection and Earnings of Migrants: Evidence from Rural China

ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010
Zheren Wu
J24; J31; O15; R23 Using data from a rural household survey in China, this paper explores the link between employment choice (nonworking, local farm work, local nonfarm work and migratory work) and migrant earnings. We find significant self-selection in migration. Youths, men, better-educated individuals and those in good health are more likely to migrate. In terms of unobserved characteristics, we find positive selection in migration to be related to the alternatives of not working and local farm work, and negative selection to be related to local nonfarm work. Controlling for self-selection, the wage returns to gender (male), education and health are lower than those obtained from OLS, and the returns to experience are higher. More importantly, we find different self-selection between individuals who have moved as pioneers and migrants from households in which other members have already migrated. [source]