Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Predictors of Seeking Healthcare among Iowa Farmers.

Farmers experience musculoskeletal symptoms such as pain and disability at a higher rate than other professions, yet little is known about the associated environmental and health factors. The objective of this research is to describe health screening data, musculoskeletal symptoms, and farm safety environmental scores to determine the relationships among these variables for Midwest famers. The sample (n = 438) included farmers from 38 counties that surround ten AgriSafe clinic sites in Iowa who were principal farm operators and/or spouses, farmed at least 20 hours per week on average, and had agricultural production of at least $1,000 in sales a year. Musculoskeletal symptom prevalence varied by age and joint, with the lowest prevalence of 28% for the elbow and the highest prevalence of over 73% for the lower back. The average number of painful joints was 4.15 (SD = 2.75) over the last year, with significantly more older farmers experiencing knee pain. Of farmers in the older age category (N = 223), 144 (64.6%) were in the low safety category (safety score ≤ 95). Significant predictors of seeking healthcare due to musculoskeletal symptoms included doctor-diagnosed arthritis (OR = 1.742; 95% CI: 1.024-2.963), employee help on the farm (OR = 2.162; 95% CI: 1.254-3.727), hip pain (OR = 2.959; 95% CI: 1.751-5.001), and upper back pain (OR = 2.036; 95% CI: 1.204-3.443). Health and safety professionals can use a standardized health and safety checklist to identify areas of concern and increase the safety and health of farmers.