Work exposures and mental and musculoskeletal symptoms in organic farming

Work-Related Hazards and Perceived Confined-Space Health Risk : Understanding the Correlation with Mental Workload Among Farmers in Northern Thailand's Shallow Wells

OBJECTIVES

This study examined factors related to perceived health risks in confined spaces (PCSHR) and their correlation with the mental workload among farmers managing agricultural wells in northern Thailand.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, multi-stage sample of 356 farmers was selected from four rural districts' agricultural areas. Data were collected through interviews conducted from August to December 2022, using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The five-part questionnaire gathered demographic data, information on experiences and operations in agricultural wells, knowledge of confined spaces, PCSHR, and the six-dimension NASA Task Load Index (TLX) mental workload. Linear regression and multi-variable analyses were used to investigate factors associated with PCSHR, while Pearson correlations tested the association between PCSHR and mental workload variables.

RESULTS

Most farmers were male (92.4%), worked in wells to install pumping systems (81.7%) and maintain equipment (73.3%), averaging 3.80 times per year, with an average duration of 25.81 minutes. Physical symptoms reported included difficulty breathing (72.8%), feeling swelteringly hot (55.9%), and sweating excessively (27.8%), as well as accidents such as being struck by falling soil or objects (20.2%), and falling into the well while climbing down (14.9%). Farmers' perceived risk scores were high when working while physically exhausted or unprepared and when assisting an unconscious worker without knowing the gas concentration. In addition, the maximal mental workload scores were mental demand and effort subscale. Factors significantly associated with PCSHR (adj.R2 = 60.6%, p < .05) encompassed education higher than lower secondary level, current alcohol consumption, smaller well width, assisted operations, number of physical symptoms experienced, absence of environmental accidents, and confined space knowledge, while increased PCSHR was positively associated with mental workload (Overall r = 0.711, p < .01).

CONCLUSION

Comprehensive education about potential hazards can improve farmers' risk perception, potentially reducing mental workload and preventing fatal accidents. Field studies are recommended to develop community-specific work protocols and accurate measuring instruments suitable for rural settings are needed.

Risk assessment of the work-related musculoskeletal disorders based on individual characteristics using path analysis models

Background

This study aimed to assess the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) using the path analysis models.

Methods

This study was carried out on 350 office employees with good general health. All variables were collected using a questionnaire. Personality traits and mental workload of employees were evaluated using the NEO Personality Inventory and the NASA-task load index software, respectively. The individual and personality traits were used as predictor variables, and mental workload (MWL) and body posture scores as mediating variables of the musculoskeletal discomforts. The role of predictor and mediating variables on discomforts was explained based on the path analysis models.

Results

The impact coefficient of MWL and posture on WMSDs was significant. The coefficient of the direct effect of body mass index (BMI) and gender on musculoskeletal disorders was significant and positive and the women have reported a higher rate of discomforts. The strongest positive impact of personality traits on MWL and posture was conscientiousness, followed by neuroticism and agreeableness. In return, the strongest negative impact was extroversion, followed by openness. The strongest positive impact of individual factors on MWL and posture was BMI, followed by work experience.

Conclusion

Gender, BMI, neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness can be strong predictors for musculoskeletal discomforts which can mediate the impact of body posture and mental workload (mediating factors) on musculoskeletal discomfort. Therefore, personality and individual traits can be strong alarming and indicators for risk identification and preventing musculoskeletal disorders when choosing people for a job or task.