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Farm Work Injuries Among A Cohort Of Children In Kentucky, Usa, Steven R. Browning, Susan C. Westneat, Deborah B. Reed Dec 2016

Farm Work Injuries Among A Cohort Of Children In Kentucky, Usa, Steven R. Browning, Susan C. Westneat, Deborah B. Reed

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Children residing on farms with livestock may be at an increased risk for work-related injuries, compared to children who work on other commodity farms. This study characterizes children's work tasks on Kentucky farms and assesses whether children who work on beef cattle farms are at an increased risk for farm work injuries. The results of a cohort study of children aged 5-18 years (N=999 at baseline) working on family farms in Kentucky, followed for two consecutive years after an initial enumeration five years previously, found that 70% of the children were involved in animal-related chores. Across all age groups, children …


Undiagnosed Pulmonary Obstruction And Restriction And Dust Exposure: Pilot Investigations Examining The Relationship Among Agricultural Workers, Caroline E. Holsinger Jan 2016

Undiagnosed Pulmonary Obstruction And Restriction And Dust Exposure: Pilot Investigations Examining The Relationship Among Agricultural Workers, Caroline E. Holsinger

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that is characterized by limited airflow.1 In the United States (U.S.) alone, COPD is the third leading cause of death.2,3 While smoking remains the strongest risk factor for COPD, 20 percent of patients who die from COPD have never smoked.5–7 The American Thoracic 3 Society showed that about 15% of COPD cases might be attributable to workplace exposure.8 Agricultural dust exposure has long been recognized as a cause of decreased respiratory function, and exposures to both forms of dust may exacerbate other important risk factors of COPD and lead to the …


Hispanic Agricultural Workers: The Nexus Of Demographics, Employment Characteristics, And Health, Ashley Michelle Bush Jan 2016

Hispanic Agricultural Workers: The Nexus Of Demographics, Employment Characteristics, And Health, Ashley Michelle Bush

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Agriculture, which is home to elevated occupational injury and illness rates, has a substantial demographic makeup of Hispanic workers. Hispanic farmworkers are at increased risk of poor occupational health outcomes due to the precarious nature of work and other socio-ecological influences. These adverse occupational health outcome counts are inadequate and undercounted, failing to capture the true scope of agricultural work. To gain more knowledge about agriculture, this capstone will focus on the personal and work characteristics of agricultural workers to help further understand disparities within the agricultural sector by: providing a literature review of agricultural worker health; examining missed work …


Characterizing Health Risks In Privately-Supplied Drinking Water Due To Agricultural Practices In Rural Western Kentucky, Karen Schroeder Card Jan 2016

Characterizing Health Risks In Privately-Supplied Drinking Water Due To Agricultural Practices In Rural Western Kentucky, Karen Schroeder Card

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

At least 400,000 people in Kentucky rely on private water wells or springs for drinking water. 551 households that rely on private water wells for drinking water were surveyed in 2009 about adverse health outcomes, including selected cancer incidence, adverse birth outcomes, and yearly incidence of diarrheal illness. Survey recipients were drawn from a population of well owners in the Jackson Purchase Region of Kentucky whose wells were tested for nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), triazine pesticides, and E. coli or total coliforms, by Kentucky Geologic Survey within the previous 15 years. 214 questionnaires were returned and matched to water quality data for …