Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Preliminary Analysis Of Project Ag Aware: Sbirt In Agricultural Work Settings, Rachel L. Rutt

Capstone Experience

Background: An increasing number of individuals are being negatively affected by substance abuse in the U.S. and Nebraska communities. These communities are seeing immense increases in opioid prescribing rates, especially in rural areas. The aims of this study are to 1) describe the study population of agricultural workers in Nebraska; 2) estimate the prevalence of alcohol misuse, illegal drug use, and anxiety among agricultural workers in Nebraska; and 3) examine factors associated with alcohol misuse among agricultural workers in Nebraska.

Methods: Adult agricultural workers (N=1,206) completed a paper or online survey for Project Ag Aware. Alcohol misuse, illegal drug use, …

Development Of A Web-Based Agriculture Health Risk Assessment Tool For Military Veteran Farmers And Ranchers, Alyssa Damke

Capstone Experience

In the U.S., significant health disparities exist among rural populations compared to their urban counterparts. These disparities can be compounded in agricultural workers due to the dangerous and unpredictable nature of their work. Agricultural producers who are also military Veterans may experience additional health pressures that are often overlooked in the healthcare setting. Over 2.5 million Veteran Health Administration (VHA) patients reside in rural areas and the healthcare infrastructure to care for these Veterans may not include an agricultural occupational approach. To address healthcare disparities in Veteran farmers and ranchers, this study, in collaboration with AgriSafe Network, will be used …

An Initial Analysis Of Agricultural Trauma In South Dakota With An Emphasis On Work-Related Injuries, Jessica Simpkins, David Sturdevant, Gary Timmerman

Aesculapius Journal (Health Sciences & Medicine)

Background: Agricultural work involves unique occupational hazards, promptinga need for injury surveillance. The agricultural sector is one of the biggest entities supporting the economy and workforce of South Dakota, yet there is no formal surveillance system for agricultural injuries. This study seeks to establish the first report of trends in agricultural trauma in South Dakota with special attention to work-related injuries.

Methods: Data from the SD Trauma Registry from 2016-2018 was analyzed to identify agricultural traumatic events using specific ICD-9 and 10 codes. These events were further sorted to identify work-related injuries. A negative binomial regression was performed to help …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Work Ability Of Smallholder Rice Farm Workers In San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, Artemio Morado Gonzales Jr, Ryan Mark Aloro Ambong, Leoniel Salibio Bais, Lendon Perez Macaspac

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Health is an integral form of human capital that can positively influence agricultural worker productivity in the physical, mental, and social domains. Poor health usually represents a burden to farm workers because a failure to meet scheduled tasks on the farm can later affect the dependents who rely on it for food nourishment and sustained livelihood. This study aims to determine the association between health and the work capabilities of smallholder rice farm workers in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 100 farm workers. The SF-36 (HRQoL) and Work Ability …

Agricultural Workplace Compliance With The Environmental Protection Agency's Worker Protection Standard: An Idaho Analysis, Rachel Phinney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural workers are at high risk for occupational pesticide exposure and pesticide-related illness. The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is the primary federal regulation aimed at reducing pesticide exposure among agricultural workers. Agricultural employers are responsible for complying with the nearly 100 WPS requirements, including the provision of pesticide safety training, personal-protective equipment, and decontamination supplies to employees.

Despite the potential health implications of WPS violations, information is limited regarding compliance levels in Idaho. We aim to fill this gap by describing compliance trends according to WPS inspection results archived by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). We analyzed 557 …

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Maine State Virtual Fair 2020, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshot of University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Club's Maine State Virtual Fair 2020 webpage.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_4-H Virtual Fun Run, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshot of webpage with the details of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Club Virtual Fun Run along the coast of Maine.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Services & Programs Webpages, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshots of various University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpages featuring announcements regarding various programs, services, and publications provide by the Cooperative Extension during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Food Safety Information For Maine Consumers, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Food Safety Information for Maine Consumers created by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

College Of Natural Sciences, Forestry, And Agriculture_Cropping Systems Course Pse 101 Lecture Slides, Rachel E. Schattman

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

Lecture slide deck for Cropping Systems course PSE 101, taught by Rachel E. Schattman, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, School of Food and Agriculture Associate and Climate Change Institute, University of Maine. Also includes cover email from Professor Schattman to the Provost Office regarding the inclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic into the lecture on the Food Safety Modernization Act.

Quantifying The Concentration Of 33-Mer In Wheat Flour, Abigail E. Rivas, Kaylee A. Howell, Robert Paris

Scholars Symposium

Celiac Disease is a type IV hypersensitive response to gluten caused by HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 T-cell presentation, initiating destruction of intestinal epithelial cells. Currently, the only remedy for those suffering from celiac disease is the complete elimination of all gluten from the diet. Studies indicate that an indigestible fragment of the gluten molecule, alpha-gliadin subcomponent 33-mer, rich in proline and glutamine, is responsible for the hypersensitivity response. Determination of 33-mer concentration in wheat lines could be beneficial to the future development of wheat lines with reduced 33-mer concentration. In this study, gliadin protein from wheat flour was extracted and separated …

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Master Gardener Volunteer Policy, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshot of various University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpages featuring the Master Gardner Volunteer Policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_4-H Quaranteen Virtual Science Cafés Webpage, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshots from University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpage showing various Maine 4-H online QuaranTEEN Virtual Science Cafés programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Farming & Livestock Webpages, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshots of various University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpages featuring guidance and resources regarding farming and livestock during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Myd88 Regulates A Prolonged Adaptation Response To Environmental Dust Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Amber N. Johnson, Jack R. Harkema, Amy J. Nelson, John D. Dickinson, Julianna Kalil, Michael J. Duryee, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Balawant Kumar, Amar B. Singh, Rohit Gaurav, Sarah C. Glover, Ying Tang, Debra J. Romberger, Tammy Kielian, Jill A. Poole

Journal Articles: Internal Medicine

BACKGROUND: Environmental organic dust exposures enriched in Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists can reduce allergic asthma development but are associated with occupational asthma and chronic bronchitis. The TLR adaptor protein myeloid differentiation factor88 (MyD88) is fundamental in regulating acute inflammatory responses to organic dust extract (ODE), yet its role in repetitive exposures is unknown and could inform future strategies.

METHODS: Wild-type (WT) and MyD88 knockout (KO) mice were exposed intranasally to ODE or saline daily for 3 weeks (repetitive exposure). Repetitively exposed animals were also subsequently rested with no treatments for 4 weeks followed by single rechallenge with saline/ODE.

RESULTS: Repetitive …

A Hard Row To Hoe: Suicide Among Kentucky Farmers, Olivia Eiler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male farmers die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of the general population. My research focuses on understanding the factors contributing to this trend and identifying potential solutions, with a specific focus on the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I have collected qualitative data through video interviews with political leaders, scholars, and youth who are active in the agriculture community. These individuals have identified several key stressors, including stigma, a lack of healthcare providers in rural areas, financial insecurity, a lack of appreciation from the public, and uncertainty due to decisions made …

Timing And Extent Of Crop Damage By Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa Linnaeus) To Corn And Peanut Fields, C. M. Boyce, Kurt C. Vercauteren, James C. Beasley

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The global expansion of wild pigs over the last few decades has resulted in an increase in extent and distribution of damages to crops, placing a growing strain on agricultural producers and land managers. Despite the extent of wild pig damage to agriculture, there is little data regarding timing and spatial variability of damage to corn (Zea mays Linnaeus) and we found no data regarding the effect of these factors on peanuts (Arachis hypogaea Linnaeus). Our objective was to determine the timing and extent of wild pig damage to corn and peanut fields, as well as the extent …

Movement Behavior Of Radio-Tagged European Starlings In Urban, Rural, And Exurban Landscapes, Page E. Klug, H. Jeffrey Homan

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Since their intentional introduction into the United States in the 1800s, European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) have become the fourth most common bird species and a nuisance bird pest in both urban and rural areas. Managers require better information about starling movement and habit-use patterns to effectively manage starling populations and the damage they cause. Thus, we revisited 6 radio-telemetry studies conducted during fall or winter between 2005 and 2010 to compare starling movements (n = 63 birds) and habitat use in 3 landscapes. Switching of roosting and foraging sites in habitat-sparse rural landscapes caused daytime (0900–1500 hours) …

Water Use Governance In A Temperate Region: Implications For Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation In The Northeastern United States, Rachel E. Schattman, Meredith T. Niles, Hannah M. Aitken

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Climate change and access to water are interrelated concerns for agriculture and other sectors, even in temperate regions. Governance approaches and regulatory frameworks determine who has access to water, for what purpose, and when. In the northeastern United States, water governance has historically been conducted by states through a combination of statutory guidance and common law. However, it is unclear what effect if current governance approaches will be sufficient for achieving resource conservation and equitable allocation in a changing climate. To provide insight into these issues, we conducted the first review of freshwater governance in the 12 states that comprise …