Health Promotion Behavior, Health Problems, Perceived Health Status and Farmers' Syndrome of Rural Residents / 農村醫學 地域保健

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the health promotion behavior, health problem, perceived health status and farmers' syndrome of rural residents. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 637 adults of 19 primary health care post extracted from 1.875 primary health care post in Korea by quota sampling method. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: The average score of health promotion behavior was 2.23. In the sub-scales, the highest degree of performance was 'nutrition', followed by 'spiritual growth' and the lowest degree of performance was 'physical activity'. The most prevalent health problem was ailments in 'musculoskeletal system', followed by 'fatigue', 'eyes and ears', 'cardiovascular system'. The mean score of perceived health status was 8.54. The prevalence of farmers' syndrome was 98.4%. Health promotion behavior showed a significant positive correlation health status and perceived health status showed a significant negative farmers' syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: With the above findings, rural residents' physical activity is less than urban residents', and the rural resident's score of perceived health status, musculoskeletal system and fatigue are lower than urban residents'. The farmers' syndrome of the rural people is high. A tailored health promotion program for rural community is needed to develop in the consideration of these findings.

The Relation between Farmers' Syndrome and Quality of Life of Residents in Suburban Area

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the relation between farmers' syndrome and the quality of life of residents in suburban areas. METHODS: A total of 994 subjects were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected from June 25 to August 31, 2007. Data analysis included frequency, chi2-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient using SPSS Win 12.0. RESULTS: 1. Analysis of farmers' syndrome showed that there were statistically significant differences according to age, gender, education, living with, family conversation, health security, monthly income, occupation, general health status, systolic blood pressure, and sleeping time. 2. Analysis of the quality of life showed that there were statistically significant differences according to age, education, religion, family conversation, health security, monthly income, occupation, and sleeping time. 3. Farmers' syndrome was in a significantly negative correlation with quality of life. CONCLUSION: Considering the results above, we need to develop nursing interventions for decreasing hypertension, high blood sugar, and farmers' syndrome of residents in suburban area.

Farmers'Syndrome and its Risk Factors of Vinylhouse and Non-vinylhouse Farmers in Gyeongbuk Province Rural Area / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to estimate the risk factors affecting the farmers'syndrome of vinylhouse and non-vinylhouse farmers in the Gyeongbuk Province rural area. METHODS: As a cross-sectional study, a questionnaire survey was conducted from 2003 to 2005. Data was collected from 243 vinylhouse farmers and 236 non-vinylhouse farmers. The data from 394 subjects were used for the final analysis. We surveyed their lifestyle, 8 components of farmers'syndrome and characteristics of farm work. RESULTS: For the vinylhouse and non-vinylhouse workers, 32.0% and 34.0% were positive for farmers syndrome, while 48.3% and 43.5% were suspicious, respectively. The differences between the two groups were not significant. For both groups, the most frequent symptom of farmers'syndrome was lumbago, followed by paresthesia of hand or foot, and shoulder stiffness. Among the vinylhouse workers, the rates of wearing protective equipment and washing the skin after spraying pesticide were significantly lower than among the non-vinylhouse workers. From multiple logistic regression analysis, the risk factors significantly associated with farmers'syndrome were sex {odds ratio (OR)=3.12, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.42-6.89} and hours of farming per day (OR=2.63, 95%CI=1.22-5.65) among vinylhouse workers. However, sex (OR=4.24, 95%CI=1.87-9.65) was the only the risk factor significantly associated with farmers'syndrome among the non-vinylhouse workers. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, educational programs and attention to the female farmers were needed in particular. In addition, it was recommended that the farmers wear protective equipment continuously from opening the coverlets of the pesticide container to the completion of pesticide spraying, and wash the skin immediately after contact with pesticides.

The Effect of Health Promotion Program on Self Efficacy, Health Problems, Farmers Syndrome and Quality of Life of the Rural Elderly / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identity the effects of a health promotion program for rural elderly people on self efficacy, health problems, farmers syndrome and quality of life. METHOD: The study was a nonequivalent control group pre-post experimental design. The data collection was performed from April 12th, 2003 to August 2nd, 2003. The subjects were selected at Mari Myun Geochang Gun in Korea. Forty-four elders were included in the experimental group and 45 elders were included in the control group. The 16-week health promotion program was given to the experimental group. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square-test, t-test, paired t-test with SPSS/Win 10.0 program. RESULT: The experimental group showed a lower scores of health problems and farmers syndrome than the control group, and higher scores of quality of life than the control group. There were no significant differences in self efficacy. CONCLUSION: From the above results, it can be concluded that the health promotion program for rural elderly is an effective intervention for improving the rural elderly's quality of life and reducing health problems and farmer's syndrome. Therefore, development of strategy that can spread the health promotion program for rural elderly to the elderly of other rural areas are needed.

A Survey on Physical Complaints Related with Farmers' Syndrome of Vinylhouse and Non-vinylhouse Farmers / 예방의학회지

To compare the physical complaints of vinylhouse farmers with those of non-vinylhouse farmers, a personal interviews on 250 and 142 vinylhouse farmers were conducted in Sungjoo county in Kyungpook province selected by a random sampling from July 5 to July 10, 1993. Blood pressure of the subjects was also measured. Vinylhouse farmers had a higher average age, larger family size, shorter experience of farming, more working hours per day and working days per year and higher annual income than non-vinylhouse farmers. The frequency of preticide spray of the vinylhouse farmer was 3.4times on the average in June 1993 as compared with 2.0 times of non-vinylhouse farmers, and 16.7 times for the vinylhouse farmers during the last one year while it was 8.3 times for the non-vinylhouse farmers in the same period. While 39.6% of vinylhouse farmers experienced pesticide intoxication symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, itching, and skin irritation, etc. during the month of June, 25.4% of non-vinylhouse farmers experienced such symptoms. The most frequent symptoms among eight symptoms that constitute the farmers' syndrome were lumbago, numbness of hand or foot shoulder pain and dizziness regardless of sex and type of farming. Prevalence of the farmers' syndrome in male and female among vinylhouse farmers were 22.1%, 43.4%, respectively, and the prevalence in non-vinylhouse farmers was 23.2% for male and 50.7%for female. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of farmers' syndrome between vinylhouse and non-vinylhouse farmers. However, The prevalence on female was about 2 times higher than that of male When the effects of other factors were adjusted by multiple logistic regression for farmers' syndrome, the prevalence in female was 3.0 times higher than that of male. The prevalence of farmers' syndrome was increased as the age of farmers increased on both vinylhouse and non-vinylhouse farmers, and adjusted odds ratio of farmers' syndrome increased by 3% as the age increased by 1 year Adjusted odds ratio of Farmers' syndrome in farmers who experienced pesticide intoxication during the month of June was 3.7times higher than that of farmers who did not have such experience. While the prevalence of hypertension in male and female non-vinylhouse farmers were 22.4%, 13.7%, respectively, the prevalence in vinylhouse farmers were 13.5% for male and 12.0% for female. However, there was no association between farmers' syndrome and hypertension. It was found in this study that the vinylhouse farmers are at a high risk of pesticide intoxication, which is associated with the common physical complaints. To reduce such risk it is necessary to develop farming methods which do not require the pesticide of may use less pesticide, a safer method of pesticide spraying, and the protective equipments which can be worn at a high temperature and have a better protective effect. Also education of farmers for the correct methods of ventilation after pesticide spraying in the vinylhouse and wearing the protective equipments may be considered as a supportive method. Since inappropriate posture at work and intensive labor may cause farmers' syndrome, it is recommended to develop farming tools which reduce physical burden and take a rest and exercise periodically during work. It is necessary to strengthen the hypertension management program of the Kyungpook province, because the prevalence of hypertension was as high as about 15%.

The epidemiologic study of farmers' syndrome in Chonnam province / 예방의학회지

This survey was conducted to investigate Farmers' Syndrome and its related factors in Chonnam province. 5,920(men 6,148, women 6,722) persons in urban area and 12,870(men 6148, women 6,722) persons in rural area were selected in stratified cluster sampling manner, and interviewed individually with structured questionnaire in April, 1992. The results were summarized as follows: 1. In rural area of Chonnam province, the prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 283 per 1,000 persons(203 in male, 355 in female). In urban area of Chonnam province, control area, the prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 113(72 in male, 145 in female). The prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive in rural area was 2.5 times higher that of urban area, and the prevalence in female was 1.7 times higher than that of male. The prevalence in total respondents was 256. 2. In rural area of Chonnam province, the age standardized prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 209 per 1,000 persons(140 in male, 267 in female). In urban area of Chonnam province, control area, the age standardized prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 122(79 in male, 158 in female). The age standardized prevalence in total respondents was 194. 3. The associated factors with Farmers' syndrome in univariate analysis were having illness during recent 15 days ,age, sex, occupation, area, monthly income, education, medical security status, family size and duration of farming. 4. When applying multiple logistic regression for Farmers' syndrome, the significant variables were having illness during recent 15 days, area, sex, age, education, medical security status, family size and duration of farming.