Factors Associated with Farmers' Syndrome

농부증과 관련된 인자

To investigate the cause of Farmers' Syndrome, this study was done in some rural areas of Kyoungsangam Province, from July to August of 1993. 117 men and 112 women were completed interview, medical examination and laboratory examination. The results were as follows. 1. The prevalence of Farmers' Syndrome in women was 509 per 1,000 and it was significantly higher than that in men, 329 per 1,000(p=0.0026). Prevalence of age adjusted with rural population of Kyungsangnam Province of 1985 was 204 per 1,000 in men and 383 per 1,000 in women. The average age of subjects with Farmers' Syndrome, 58.9 was significantly higher than that of subjects without Farmers' Syndrome, 53.2(p<0.001). 2. The most frequent symptom was lumbago(27.7%), and the second was numb limbs(21.6%), and the third was shoulder stiffness(20.9%). Less than 10% of study subjects complained of breathlessness, sleeplessness, dizziness. Women complained of shoulder stiffness(p<0.001), lumbago(p<0.001), numb limbs(p<0.05), dizziness(p<0.001), abdominal fullness(p<0.001) significantly frequently than men. 3. Those aged 50 or more complained of shoulder stiffness(p<0.001), lumbago(p<0.01), numb limbs(p<0.001), nocturia(p<0.001), breathlessness(p<0.05), sleeplessness (p<0.05) and dizziness(p<0.05) significantly frequently than those aged less than 50. 4. By logistic regression, the risk factors significantly associated with Farmers' Syndrome were age(odds ratio(OR)=1.05, 95% confidence interval(CI) 1.02-1.07), sex(OR of 75,95% CI 0.58-0.97), and mental stress(OR=1.39, 95% CI 1.03-1.86). 5. By logistic regression, the risk factors significantly associated with each component symptom of Farmers' Syndrome were as follows. There were significant associations between sex(OR of male=0.51) with shoulder stiffness, age(OR=1.04) and mental stress(OR=1.72) with lumbago, age(OR=1.06), regular exercise(OR=0.35) and mental stress(OR=1.63) with numb limbs, age(OR=1.06) and abnormal LFT(OR=1.59) with nocturia, age(OR=1.08) with breathlessness, sex(OR of male=0.56) with dizziness respectively.