Fatal Agricultural Injuries in Preschool Children: Risks, Injury Patterns and Strategies for Prevention

Details

• Personal Author:
  Berg RL ; Brison RJ ; Linneman J ; Marlenga B ; Pickett W ; Zentner J
• Description:
  Agricultural injuries are an important health concern for pediatric populations and particularly for children of pre school age. This study was conducted to estimate rates and determine patterns of fatal agricultural injury among young children exposed to agricultural hazards and to identify strategies to prevent such injuries. A national case series was assembled retrospectively for the years 1990-2001. We identified children aged 1-6 years who were fatally injured during the course of agricultural work or through contact with a hazard of an agricultural worksite. Using a standardized survey instrument, we collected data from provincial coroners' and medical examiners' case files. Fatal agricultural injury rates (calculated with denominator data from the Canada Census of Agriculture) were compared with national all-cause, unintentional fatal injury rates in the general population of Canadian children during the same period (calculated with denominator data from the Canada Census of Population). The annual rate of fatal agricultural injury was substantially higher than that of all-cause, unintentional fatal injury among Canadian children aged 1-6 years (14.9 v. 8.7 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Differences in risk were attributed to elevated fatal agricultural injury rates among boys. Most injuries occurred in the agricultural worksite, largely (84/115 [73%]) the result of 3 mechanisms: being run over by agricultural machinery as a bystander (29%) or as an extra rider who fell from the machine (22%), or asphyxia due to drowning (23%). Major crush injuries (of the head, chest and abdomen) and asphyxia from drowning were the most frequent mechanisms of injury. Preschool-aged children exposed to agricultural worksites are at high risk of fatal injuries. Prevention strategies should focus on restricting children's access to these worksites. Physicians and allied health care professionals who care for rural families could take on a proactive role in communicating the nature and magnitude of these risks. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Aging Agriculture Farmers Hazardous Substances Mortality Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety

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• Keywords:
  Age-factors Age-groups Agricultural-industry Agricultural-workers Children Health-hazards Injuries Injury-prevention Mortality-data Mortality-rates Occupational-hazards Occupational-health Risk-analysis Risk-factors Traumatic-injuries

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• ISSN:
  0820-3946
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 5 ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  174
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20030352
• Citation:
  CMAJ 2006 Jun; 174(12):1723-1726
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Barbara Marlenga, National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, 1000 North Oak Ave., Marshfield WI 54449, USA
• Email:
  marlenga.barbara@mcrf.mfldclin.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2006
• Performing Organization:
  Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20000930
• Source Full Name:
  Canadian Medical Association Journal
• End Date:
  20040929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a1826597d51092899a318e241430bbc6501fe4eb87bba6dee9527a056aa18ef53a392147b491741b7c9222f9c7729f72c278ac0a734233c7e689474239d883d7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191017/cdc_191017_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 180.67 KB ]