BACKGROUND: A systematic review was undertaken to establish risk factors for the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among farmers. METHODS: Comprehensive electronic searches of Pubmed, Web of Science, CINAHL, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Agris Database, and Cochrane Library were carried out using a battery of key words for MSDs and farmers. The studies methods quality was assessed using a standardized checklist. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The median method score was 65% of the maximum attainable score, resulting in 15 studies of higher methodological. Risks were categorized into: Work characteristics (n = 11), personal characteristics (n = 5), and psychosocial factors (n = 5). Spinal MSD risk factors include exposure to working in tree crops, vibration, postural load, being an owner operator, age, education beyond high school, suffering from asthma or depression, having <8 hr nightly sleep, bad quality sleep, and geographic location. Upper extremity MSD risk factors include being an owner operator, dust with pig workers, numbness and coldness in younger milkers and numbness in milkers >43 years, age, and body height in dairy farmers. Lower extremity MSD risk factors include, duration of farming ≥10 years, working >5 hr daily in animal barns, milking >40 cows, years as a dairy farmer, farm work, age, body mass, and female gender. CONCLUSIONS: In exploring risk factors the spine was the most researched body region, followed by lower and upper extremity. Given the variance between studies, it is recommended that future studies focus on specific types of farmers and should explore specific exposures for specific body parts using standardized case definitions.
BACKGROUND: A systematic review was undertaken to establish risk factors for the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among farmers. METHODS: Comprehensive electronic searches of Pubmed, Web of Science, CINAHL, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Agris Database, and Cochrane Library were carried out using a battery of key words for MSDs and farmers. The studies methods quality was assessed using a standardized checklist. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The median method score was 65% of the maximum attainable score, resulting in 15 studies of higher methodological. Risks were categorized into: Work characteristics (n = 11), personal characteristics (n = 5), and psychosocial factors (n = 5). Spinal MSD risk factors include exposure to working in tree crops, vibration, postural load, being an owner operator, age, education beyond high school, suffering from asthma or depression, having <8 hr nightly sleep, bad quality sleep, and geographic location. Upper extremity MSD risk factors include being an owner operator, dust with pig workers, numbness and coldness in younger milkers and numbness in milkers >43 years, age, and body height in dairy farmers. Lower extremity MSD risk factors include, duration of farming ≥10 years, working >5 hr daily in animal barns, milking >40 cows, years as a dairy farmer, farm work, age, body mass, and female gender. CONCLUSIONS: In exploring risk factors the spine was the most researched body region, followed by lower and upper extremity. Given the variance between studies, it is recommended that future studies focus on specific types of farmers and should explore specific exposures for specific body parts using standardized case definitions.
Authors: Nathan B Fethke; Mark C Schall; Linda A Merlino; Howard Chen; Cassidy A Branch; Maya Ramaswamy Journal: Ann Work Expo Health Date: 2018-11-12 Impact factor: 2.179
Authors: Jill A Poole; Debra J Romberger; Todd A Wyatt; Elizabeth Staab; Joel VanDeGraaff; Geoffrey M Thiele; Anand Dusad; Lynell W Klassen; Michael J Duryee; Ted R Mikuls; William W West; Dong Wang; Kristina L Bailey Journal: J Toxicol Environ Health A Date: 2015-10-05
Authors: Dana C Mora; Christopher M Miles; Haiying Chen; Sara A Quandt; Phillip Summers; Thomas A Arcury Journal: Arch Environ Occup Health Date: 2014-12-02 Impact factor: 1.663
Authors: Nathan B Fethke; Mark C Schall; Howard Chen; Cassidy A Branch; Linda A Merlino Journal: J Occup Environ Hyg Date: 2020-02-18 Impact factor: 2.155
Authors: Anand Dusad; Geoff M Thiele; Lynell W Klassen; Angela M Gleason; Christopher Bauer; Ted R Mikuls; Michael J Duryee; William W West; Debra J Romberger; Jill A Poole Journal: Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol Date: 2013-11 Impact factor: 6.914
Authors: Anabel Rodriguez; Vanessa Casanova; Jeffrey L Levin; David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras; David I Douphrate Journal: J Agromedicine Date: 2019-01-30 Impact factor: 1.675
Authors: Berry J van Holland; Michiel R de Boer; Sandra Brouwer; Remko Soer; Michiel F Reneman Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-11-20 Impact factor: 3.295