Disability on Irish Farms—A Real Concern

Abstract

Farmers operate within hazardous environments while conducting their day-to-day tasks, potentially resulting in injury or disability. Disability can serve as a major life-changing event for the farmer, the farm family, and the farm business. In Ireland, the agricultural sector reported the highest incidence of disability, yet there is relatively little known on the impact of agricultural-based disability. In 2007, a questionnaire was appended to the Teagasc (Irish Agricultural and Food Development Authority) National Farm Survey to obtain some metric of the prevalence and impact of disability on Irish farms, in addition to quantifying service/support requirements of farm operators experiencing disability. Almost 5.9% (approximately 6611) of Irish farm operators reported disability, primarily caused through illness/disease. Arthritis (31.4%), back problems (17%), and heart circulatory problems (12.5%) were most frequently reported. The lowest prevalence of disability was found among tillage (1.4%) and dairy (4.1%) farms, with the highest prevalence among cattle farms (7.1%). Family farm income was lower on disability-experiencing farms relative to nondisability farms (123 euros per hectare), with a lower participation in off-farm employment also identified. Many farm operators (approximately 20%) ceased off-farm employment following disability. Discontinuation of off-farm employment can further precipitate family farm income decline, but also place additional pressures on the farm business if quality services/supports are not available. The current provision of services/supports to farm operators experiencing disability is perceived largely insufficient across the entire service/support spectrum from when disability was first experienced through to retirement. Awareness and issues surrounding eligibility were the primary reasons for failing to avail of currently available service/supports.

Risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among farm owners and farm workers: A systematic review

“…Lifetime prevalence and 1‐year prevalence rates for farmers are very high; two recent studies recorded rates of 90.6 [Holmberg et al, 2002] and 92% [Kolstrup et al, 2006], respectively. In addition to causing pain, suffering, illness and injury, they can also result in reduced work ability and, consequently, reduced farm income [Whelan et al, 2009], poor quality of life such as limited social interaction arising from MSD reduced mobility, and the onset of other health problems such as stress [Lizer and Petrea, 2008].…”

Preliminary Ergonomic Evaluation of Barn Tasks in Intensive Swine Production

“…18 In agriculture, MSDs are the most common cause of work absence in self-employed Dutch farmers, 19 and Irish farm income is lower when operators have MSD-related disability. 20 Interestingly, workers' mental and physical health have also been shown to be linked to dairy herd health. 21 Clearly, interventions are needed to prevent MSD in agriculture and particularly animal handling professions.…”

Work‐related musculoskeletal disorders among Irish farm operators

“…In order to address the issue of WMSDs, it is first necessary to measure the magnitude of the problem by establishing prevalence rates and then to identify risk factors, especially as some risk factors may be unique to farmers working within specific cultural, institutional, and geographic contexts. Although, recent studies explored MSDs [Osborne et al, 2010] and disability [Whelan et al, 2009] among Irish farmers the focus was not specific to WMSDs.…”

“…In order to address the issue of WMSDs, it is first necessary to measure the magnitude of the problem by establishing prevalence rates and then to identify risk factors, especially as some risk factors may be unique to farmers working within specific cultural, institutional and geographic contexts. In recent years a body of research exploring occupational health and safety amongst Irish farmers established that arthritis (31.4%) and back problems (17%) to be the most frequent illness reported and farm income was lower on farms where the operator had a MSD related disability [Whelan et al, 2009]. A further study exploring MSD prevalence among Irish farmers [Osborne et al, 2010] [Connolly et al, 2010].…”