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

비닐하우스 재배농민과 일반농민의 농부증 관련 신체증상 호소율 조사

To compare the physical complaints of vinylhouse farmers with those of non-vinylhouse farmers, a personal interviews on 250 vinylhouse and 142 non-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 the non-vinylhouse farmers. The frequency of pesticide spray of the vinylhouse farmers was 3.4 times 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 in 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 in 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 for Farmers' syndrome in farmers who experienced pesticide intoxication during the month of June was 3.1 times 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 tile common physical complaints. To reduce such risk it is necessary to develop farming methods which do not require the pesticide or 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%.

비닐하우스 재배농민들이 일반농민에 비해 신체증상 호소율이 더 높은 지 조사해 보기 위해 경상북도 성주군의 6개면 지역에서 무작위로 추출된 비닐하우스 재배농민 250명과 일반농민 142명을 대상으로, 일반적 특성, 농작업양상 그리고 농부증의 각 증상에 대한 호소빈도에 대해 1993년 7월 5일부터 10일까지 6일간에 걸쳐 면담조사와 혈압측정을 하였다. 비닐하우스 재배농민이 일반농민에 비해 평균 연령이 적었고, 동거 가족수가 많았고, 농사경력은 짧았으며, 연평균 일일 노동시간과 연간 노동일수가 많았고 연간 가구당 평균 수입이 약 2.6배 많았다(p<0.01). 조사기간인 1993년 6월 한 달에 비닐하우스 재배농민은 농약을 평균 3.4회 살포하여 일반농민보다 약 1.7배 더 많이 살포했고, 년간 16회 이상 살포하는 것으로 나타났으며, 최근 한 달간 농약살포후 중독 경험률은 비닐하우스 재배농민 가운데 39.6%나 되어 일반농민의 25.4% 보다 더 많았다. 농부증 8개 증상 중 비닐하우스 재배농민과 일반농민 남녀가 공통적으로 가장 많이 호소하는 증상은 요통, 수족감각둔화, 어깨결림, 그리고 어지러움이었다. 농부증 양성률은 비닐하우스 재배농민 남자 22.1%, 여자 43.4%, 일반농민 남자 23.2%, 여자 50.7% 로 비닐하우스 재배농민과 일반농민 간에는 뚜렷한 차이가 없었으나 여자들이 남자에 비해 농부증 양성률이 약 2배 더 높았고, 다중 지수형 회귀분석으로 다른 요인의 효과를 조정했을 때는 3.0배 더 높았다(p<0.01). 두 농작업군 모두에서 연령이 증가할수록 농부증 양성률이 증가하는 경향을 보였고, 1세 증가시 농부증 위험도는 3% 증가하였다(p<0.05). 또 최근 한 달간 농약살포 후 중독을 경험했던 농부들이 경험하지 않았던 농부들에 비해 농부증 위험도는 3.7배 였다(p<0.01). 고혈압 유소견율은 일반농민 남녀 각각 22.4%, 13.7%로 비닐하우스 재배농민의 13.5%, 12.0% 에 비해 높게 나타났으며, 고혈압과 농부증 사이에 일정한 관련성은 없었다. 본 연구의 결과로는 비닐하우스 재배농민들이 일반농민들에 비해 특별히 신체증상호소율이 높지 않았다. 중요한 건강문제와 가능한 대책은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 농약살포후 중독이 문제가 되므로 농약을 쓰지 않거나 더 적게 쓰고도 농사를 지을 수 있는 영농법 및 농약을 좀 더 안전하게 살포할 수 있는 방법의 개발, 고온에서도 착용하기 좋고 보호 성능이 좋은 보호구의 개발이 시급히 요구되며, 농약살포시 환기요령과 보호구 착용방법에 대한 교육 등의 강화도 고려되어야 할 것으로 생각된다. 둘째, 농부증 증상 중 흔한 증상들은 농작업 자세 및 과도한 노동에 기인되었을 가능성이 있으므로 신체에 부담을 줄일 수 있는 농기구를 개발하고, 주기적인 휴식 및 운동을 권장해 볼 만하다. 세째, 고혈압 유소견율이 15% 전후로 높으므로 고혈압 관리사업의 강화가 요구된다.