Associations of Occupational Exposures on Environmental Allergies Among Farmers and Ranchers in the Central United States

Details

• Journal Article:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• Personal Author:
  Welch, Alexandrea ; Beseler, Cheryl L. ; Du, Yi ; Cross, Shaun ; Rautiainen, Risto H.
• Description:
  Importance: Environmental allergies plague millions of adults every year. Farmers and ranchers are at a heightened risk of exposure to allergens due to their occupation. Objective: Few studies have addressed the contribution of occupational exposures to environmental allergies and potential preventive strategies to reduce exposure. The objective of this study is to determine whether occupational exposures affect the risk of environmental allergies among farmers and ranchers in the central midwestern states. Design: Surveillance data from the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health Farm and Ranch Health and Safety Surveys from 2018, 2020, and 2023 were analyzed to investigate risk factors for environmental allergies. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations. Setting: The study was conducted across seven states, including Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Surveys were mailed to randomly selected agricultural operations. Participants: Eligible participants were farm and ranch operators with an email address and an estimated gross farm income of at least $5,000. The study was sent to "operators" defined as those who manage a farm or ranch business. Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): The primary outcome variable is the presence of environmental allergies, assessed through self-reported physician-diagnosed allergies. The primary variable of interest was air contaminant exposure. Additional predictor variables included skin exposures, musculoskeletal exposures, work strain symptoms, musculoskeletal discomfort, sex, age, type of operation, primary occupation, percentage of worktime, and production variables. Results: Being female (OR = 1.84) and having a primary occupation other than farm/ranch work (OR = 1.47) were significantly associated with higher odds of environmental allergies. Surprisingly, participants without symptoms of work strain (OR = 1.72), musculoskeletal discomfort (OR = 1.93), and musculoskeletal exposures (OR = 1.48) were positively associated with environmental allergies. Occupational exposures, including respiratory exposure to grain, feed, or hay dust (OR = 1.43), road dust (OR = 1.39), skin contact with pesticides or fertilizers (OR = 1.22), and detergents and disinfectants (OR = 1.22) increased the odds of having environmental allergies. Dairy (OR = 0.61) and grain production (OR = 0.75) decreased the odds. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings highlight the need for occupational health interventions aimed at reducing respiratory and skin exposures in farm and ranch environments.
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Farmers Hypersensitivity Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Occupational Stress Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Agriculture; Central States; Environmental Allergies; Occupational Exposure; Respiratory Exposure Farmers; Agriculture; Agricultural Workers; Allergens; Allergies; Occupational Exposure; Respiratory Irritants; Job Stress; Health Surveys; Musculoskeletal Disorders; MSD; Skin Exposure;
• Source:
  J Agromedicine 2026 Apr; :[Epub ahead of print]
• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Nebraska ; Iowa ; Kansas ; Minnesota ; Missouri ; North Dakota ; South Dakota ; Kansas City Region [OSHA] ; Denver Region [OSHA] ; Dallas Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  12 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071520
• Contact Point Address:
  Risto H. Rautiainen, Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4388, USA
• Email:
  rrautiainen@unmc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Nebraska Medical Center - Omaha
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20110901
• End Date:
  20270831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a9dbad8f8968dc2dedda45a3577d6cd7476cb8bf1f576db69802e94611887f5106e8fe46dfe67d0d15fdb31b724815db7e4233f20a175edf0ff8aa1f986130a6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259117/cdc_259117_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1001.45 KB ]