Farm elders define health as the ability to work

Details

• Personal Author:
  Adkins SM ; Conley CK ; Rayens MK ; Reed DB ; Westneat S
• Description:
  Thirty percent of America's 2.2 million farms are operated by individuals older than 65 years. This study examined how older farmers define health and determined whether demographic characteristics, farm work, and physical and mental health status predict health definition. Data were collected via telephone and mailed surveys during the baseline wave of data collection in a longitudinal study of family farmers residing in two southern states (n=1,288). Nearly 42% defined health as the "ability to work" compared to a physical health-related definition. Predictors of defining health as the ability to work included being White, performing more farm tasks in the past week, taking prescription medications daily, and having minimal health-related limitations to farm work. Health behaviors are centered on the individual's perception of health. Understanding the defining attributes of health can support better approaches to health care and health promotion, particularly among rural subcultures such as farmers, whose identity is rooted in their work. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Behavior Family Farmers Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Industry Agricultural Workers Attitude Families Longitudinal Study Mental Health Physical Capacity Questionnaires Worker Health
• ISSN:
  2165-0799
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant ; Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Kentucky ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  345-351
• Volume:
  60
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041490
• Citation:
  Workplace Health Saf 2012 Aug; 60(8):345-351
• Contact Point Address:
  Deborah B. Reed, MSPH, PhD, RN, Distinguished Service Professor, University of Kentucky, 760 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0232
• Email:
  dbreed01@uky.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Kentucky
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Workplace Health & Safety
• End Date:
  20070929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b9346455ccb3239f254e3438e1ae0e1c38e6bc5b90a0657093a628809bf517bb700ca16c35762364b3e20285fd4cf19daa4a8a801c4b81eeb8536a759dd7de0c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194049/cdc_194049_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 215.71 KB ]