Cardiovascular Disease, Digestive Diseases, Traffic Accidents, and Suicides

Methods and exploratory findings of the first Swiss agricultural health cohort FarmCoSwiss

FarmCoSwiss is Switzerland's first agricultural cohort study on farmers' health and wellbeing. It aims to longitudinally describe farmers' mental and physical health and identify risk and protective factors. Between November 2022 and August 2023, 872 participants (65.9% men) were enrolled in the baseline survey assessing farm characteristics, occupational hazards, lifestyle and wellbeing, and physical and mental health. Selected variables were descriptively compared to the general population using Swiss Health Survey (SHS) data (2022) and the Swiss-wide SAPALDIA cohort (2020-2023). Findings suggest better physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in younger participants, and better mental HRQoL in older farmers. Furthermore, descriptive comparisons indicate that female farmers may have higher physical, but lower mental HRQoL than men. Most participants (60.5%) were classified as overweight or obese based on self-reported height and weight. Descriptive comparisons between the SHS and FarmCoSwiss suggest that farmers might spend less hours sitting, consume less alcohol and tobacco, but eat more red and processed meat. FarmCoSwiss participants further reported lower prevalences of most diseases compared to SAPALDIA participants. Occupational accidents were common in the farmers' cohort. These high accident rates as well as high BMI values and indications for sex-based differences in physical and mental health highlight the need for further research and in-depth studies. Given increasing political, societal, and environmental pressures on agriculture, epidemiological evidence on farmers' health and wellbeing is crucial to maintain a thriving agricultural workforce.

Is Farming a Risk Occupation for Cardio-cerebrovascular Diseases? A Scoping Review on Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Risk in Farmers

OBJECTIVES

In Korea, cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) is recognized as an occupational disease when sufficient evidence of a work-related burden exists. In 2021, approximately 26.8% of the payments from occupational disease insurance under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act were allocated to CCVDs. However, due to the specific nature of insurance policies for farmers, CCVD is not acknowledged as an occupational disease in their case.

METHODS

We reviewed studies on the differences in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of CCVDs between farmers and the general population or other occupations and described the exposure of farmers to risk factors for CCVDs.

RESULTS

Several studies showed that farming is a high-risk occupation for CCVDs, with the following risk factors: long working hours, night work, lack of holidays, and strenuous physical labor; physical factors (noise, cold, heat, humidity, and vibration); exposure to hazardous gases (diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, nitrogen oxides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), pesticides, and dust (particulate matter, silica, and organic dust); exposure to a hypoxic environment; and job-related stress. Social isolation and lack of accessible medical facilities also function as additional risk factors by preventing farmers from receiving early interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Farmers are exposed to various risk factors for CCVDs and are an occupation at risk for CCVDs. More studies are needed in the future to elucidate this relationship. This study lays the groundwork for future research to develop guidelines for approving CCVDs as occupational diseases among farmers.