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Resources by Topic: Occupational health and safety

Dementia and Cognitive Decline in Older Adulthood: Are Agricultural Workers at Greater Risk?
Results of a study examining whether long-term exposure to agricultural work is associated with dementia prevalence and the rate of cognitive change in older adulthood. Features demographics and statistics on various types of cognitive function.
Author(s): Kanika Arora, Lili Xu, Divya Bhagianadh
Citation: The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 76(8), 1629–1643
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
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COVID-19 Working Paper: Meatpacking Working Conditions and the Spread of COVID-19
Report details the working conditions of meatpacking plants and how they affected the spread of COVID-19 during the first months of the pandemic. Compares manufacturing jobs in rural versus total counties and highlights specific rural counties where meatpacking plants were infected. Discusses occupational characteristics that may have contributed to the spread.
Author(s): Thomas P. Krumel, Jr., Corey Goodrich
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for the Veterans Health Administration
Guidance on the VA's vaccination program, which provides vaccinations for veterans and VA staff. Covers storage and handling, safety monitoring, reporting, education, and communication. Addresses risk stratification approaches to identify those at highest risk, including rural and minority veterans. Appendix P provides detailed information on planned outreach to rural veterans.
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Agricultural Stakeholders' Perceptions of Occupational Health and Safety in the Southeastern U.S. Coastal States
Highlights the perception of eleven agricultural professionals in the southeast on the current state of agricultural health and safety. Discusses a number of factors affecting health and safety of agricultural workers, such as healthcare access, economic and labor issues, and cultural competency, among others. Features information pertaining to worker safety during COVID-19.
Author(s): Tracy Irani, Beatrice Fenelon Pierre, Tyler S. Nesbit
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), 6605
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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Let's Talk About Mitigation Video
Recording of a June 29, 2021, webinar providing technical assistance regarding the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Funding program. Discusses reporting requirements and how program funds can be used. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 06/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Characterization of Mental Illness Among US Coal Miners
Describe the prevalence of and risk factors for mental illness among 2,808 active and former coal miners from central Appalachia who received clinical care at Stone Mountain Health Services Black Lung Clinic between 2018-2020. Features statistics with breakdowns by degree of depression, pulmonary risk factors, and length of time spent working as a miner.
Author(s): Drew Harris, Timothy McMurry, Amanda Caughron, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(5)
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
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The Meatpacking Industry in Rural America During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Compares nonmetro counties with over 20 percent of employment in the meatpacking industry to other nonmetro counties, with data on poverty and COVID-19 cases.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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New COVID-19 Cases since March 1, 2020: Comparing Rural Counties with 20 Percent or More Employment in Meatpacking to All Other Rural Counties in the United States
Line chart comparing COVID-19 cases in nonmetro meatpacking-dependent counties to cases in all other nonmetro counties.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Building Resilience Among Physical and Behavioral Healthcare Providers During a Global Health Pandemic
Toolkit discusses burnout among physical and behavioral healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides strategies to build resilience to burnout. Defines a number of root causes to provider burnout, such as compassion fatigue, ambiguous loss, and secondary traumatic stress, among others. Discusses how rural providers, especially sole community providers, can face specific challenges during a pandemic that can lead to burnout.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder, Per Ostmo, Robin Landwehr, Andrew McLean, Thomasine Heitkamp
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
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COVID-19 Outbreak Among Farmworkers — Okanogan County, Washington, May–August 2020
Examined risk factors for COVID-19 among fruit grower employees working in orchard and warehouse settings in Okanogan County, Washington. Looked at the impact of housing, comparing those living in the community to those living in congregate temporary housing. Also looked at infection rates by job role.
Author(s): James S. Miller, Michelle Holshue, Tia K.H. Dostal, Laura P. Newman, Scott Lindquist
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(17), 617-621
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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