A study of eight subjective symptoms concerned with the so-called "farmer's syndrome" as a health indicator / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

The eight subjective symptoms (shoulder stiffness, lumbago, urinary frequency at night, numbness of extremities, shortness of breath, sleep disturbance, dizziness and abdominal distension) were checked at the screening of circulatory diseases performed in a rural district in Ehime prefecture.<BR>1. The complaint rates of the eight subjective symptoms were higher in female than those in male. The influence of aging was observed in urinary frequency at night and sleep disturbance. The higher complaint rates in the agricultural workers were not evident in the subjective symptoms except lumbago.<BR>2. Factor analysis indicated that the eight subjective symptoms were constituted by (1) fatigue of circulatory system, (2) fatigue of musculoskeletal system and (3) aging effect.<BR>3. The higher complaint rates were observed in these diagnosed as circulatory diseases, musculoskeletal diseases or gynecological diseases. The correlations between the eight subjective symptoms and the laboratory findings were not apparent. The result of path analysis indicated that the eight subjective symptoms were independently referable to the presence of illness.<BR>4. The eight subjective symtoms were considered considered to be to evaluate health status of inhabitants in rural district.