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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Farmers and farmworkers

Suicide Rates by Major Occupational Group — 17 States, 2012 and 2015
Examines suicide deaths by occupational group for men and women aged 16-64 years from the 17 states participating in both the 2012 and 2015 National Violent Death Reporting System. Includes information on suicide rates among male farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers and among male agricultural workers.
Additional links: Erratum, Table 2
Author(s): Cora Peterson, Deborah M. Stone, Suzanne M. Marsh, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(45), 1253-1260
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Migrant Farmworker Nutritional Strategies: Implications for Diabetes Management
Presents findings of interviews with 200 Latino migrant farmworkers in North Carolina on food security and means of obtaining, preparing, and consuming food. Identifies common supports and barriers of dietary self-management and provides data on population characteristics. Highlights implications for migrant farmworkers with diabetes, and identifies strategies for improving access to suitable food.
Author(s): Sara A. Quandt, Augusta Groeschel-Johnson, Hannah Kinzer, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 23(4), 347-354
Date: 09/2018
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Pesticide Use and Incident Hypothyroidism in Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study
Highlights a study of self-reported hypothyroidism in pesticide applicators in North Carolina and Iowa. Data is drawn from the Agricultural Health Study and is broken down by age, sex, and state of residence, among other factors.
Author(s): Srishti Shrestha, Christine G. Parks, Whitney S. Goldner, et al.
Citation: Environmental Health Perspectives, 126(9)
Date: 09/2018
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Healthy Farmers, Prosperous Farms Video
Presents a video discussing the importance of health insurance in maintaining access to healthcare for farmers and their families. Details the rates of injuries for farmers and the risks that operating a farm without health insurance can pose to both the farmers themselves and their business.
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Rural Maryland Council
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The Amish Have Decreased Asthma and Allergic Diseases Compared to Old Order Mennonites
Compares allergic disease prevalence among Wisconsin Amish to prevalence among Old Order Mennonites. Discusses the potential role of farm environmental factors in protecting against allergic diseases. Includes statistics and data on self- and doctor-reported prevalence of eczema, asthma, food allergies, or hay fever.
Author(s): Jamee C Tantoco, Jordan Elliott Bontrager, Qianqian Zhao, James DeLine, Christine M Seroogy
Citation: Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 121(2), 252–253.e1
Date: 08/2018
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Mold and Asthma: A Look at Co-Occurrence in Two Rural Communities in California
Reports on a study of mold and asthma prevalence in two rural, primarily low-income, migrant farmworker communities. Covers housing type, income, occupation, sex, the percent of children and adults with asthma, and mold types and amounts. Compares results to national averages.
Author(s): Ryan Sinclair, Charity Russell, Genevieve Kray, Stephen Vesper, Gail Wadsworth
Date: 05/2018
Sponsoring organization: California Institute for Rural Studies
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Immigrant Health Policy Paper
Policy position brief about new immigrants in rural areas, in terms of health care access, health disparities, economic contributions, health care facilities and Community Health Workers, and service strategies to benefit immigrants. Includes case studies of immigrants in Minnesota and immigrants employed in the meat-processing industry and in rural farming.
Author(s): Susan Kunz, April Fernandez, Matt Gilleskie, et al.
Date: 05/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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A Task-Based Analysis of Black Carbon Exposure in Iowa Farmers During Harvest
Reports on a study that measures black carbon concentrations as an indicator for diesel exhaust exposure in farmers over a 20-day period during the harvest season in southeast Iowa. Identifies the frequency and levels of exposure to black carbon associated with diesel-related activities and determines if these levels are above concentrations found in urban environments.
Author(s): Emma M. Stapleton, Patrick T. O'Shaughnessy, Sarah J. Locke, et al.
Citation: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 15(4), 293-304
Date: 04/2018
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Piece Rate Pay and Worker Identity: How Power in the Fields Impacts Worker Health
Reports on a study of heat-related illness among California farmworkers. Identifies barriers to self-care.
Author(s): Gail Wadsworth, Michael Courville, Marc Schenker
Date: 04/2018
Sponsoring organization: California Institute for Rural Studies
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Industrial Hog Farming Is Associated with Altered Circulating Immunological Markers
Highlights a study of immunological changes among hog farmers. Draws data from the Agricultural Health Study. Breaks down data by education and body mass index, among other measures.
Author(s): Jonathan N. Hofmann, Meredith S. Shiels, Melissa C. Friesen, et al.
Citation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(3), 212-217
Date: 03/2018
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