• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.817-825
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• 2002

Purpose: This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and the main factors influencing the farmer's Syndrome in farmers in Korea. Method: A survey questionnaire was completed by 238 farmers who lived in 8 agricultural districts in Seosan City. The data were collected from April 10 to May 5, 2002. Results: The prevalence of the farmer's Syndrome was 42.6%, and its prevalence rate in woman was higher than that in man. The prevalence of the farmers syndrome proportionally increased with advanced age. Variables that were positively correlated with the farmer's syndrome were age, duration of farming, days of resting, and the number of the agricultural chemical's poisoning. On the other hand, variables that were negatively correlated with the farmers syndrome were smoking, sleeping hours, economic condition, and level of educational. In a regression analysis, the factors influencing the farmers syndrome were age, sex, sleeping hours, days of resting, and the number of the agricultural chemical's poisoning, which accounted for 25% of the total variance. Conclusion: Based on these study results, older age and woman gender are the remarkable risk factors influencing the farmer's syndrome. Sleeping hours, days of resting, and the number of the agricultural chemical's poisoning were also the significant attributable variables to the farmers syndrome.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2156-2169
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• 2012

This study was performed to find out the relationship between farmer's syndrome and self-conscious fatigue symptoms in farmers of suburban area. The questionnaire was prepared to survey the socio-demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, farming activities, farmer's syndrome, and self-conscious fatigue symptoms of the farmers, and the survey was carried out from April 1 to June 30, 2011 by interviewing 296 farmers residing suburban area of Daejeon city. As a results, the ratio of farmers who had positive farmer's syndrome, doubtful syndrome, and no syndrome were 34.1%, 47.6%, and 18.2%, respectively. The farmer's syndrome was positively correlated with the self-conscious fatigue symptoms, and farmers with self-conscious fatigue symptoms in high risk group were at higher risk of having farmer's syndrome. The results of hierarchic multiple regression analysis indicated that sex, education, health, and self-conscious fatigue symptom were correlated with the farmer's syndrome. Among the affective factors variables, independently self-conscious fatigue symptom was the most influential. As a conclusion, the occurrence of farmer's syndrome was influenced by the socio-demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and self-conscious fatigue symptoms of the farmers. Especially, self-conscious fatigue symptom was independently influenced the occurrence of farmer's syndrome.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 1997

Backgrounds : There has been many studies investigating the causes of farmers' syndrome. In some studies, psychologic stress is related to farmer's syndrome. And the diagnostic criteria of farmer's syndrome is similar to those of generalized anxiety disorder. So we carried out this study to investigate the psychiatric causes of farmers' syndrome. Methods : This study was done in some rural and urban areas of Kyoungsangnam Province, July, August, October and November of 1996. Those who came to free medical service and completed interview, medical examination and laboratory examination and 20-59 years old were 150 persons. And those who came to health center for health examination and completed only interview and 20-59 years old were 94 persons. The questionnaire was composed of sociodemographic factors, health risk factors, farmer's syndrome, work load, BEPSI(inventory to measure stress), Spielberger's state-trait anxiety inventory, self-rating depression scale. To examine statistical significance, we used X2-test, Mantel-Haenszel test for linear association, t-test, ANCOVA, correlation, multiple regression, logistic regression. Results : The prevalence of farmer's syndrome, adjusted for age and sex with population of Kyungsangnam Province of 1993 was 208 per 1,000(90 per 1,000 in men and 329 per 1,000 in women). In bivariate analysis, farmer's syndrome was significantly related to age, sex, job, income, smoking, alcohol drinking, work load, BEPSI, state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, body mass index, Hwa-Byung, hypertension, anemia. However, when age and sex were adjusted, job was not significantly related to farmer's syndrome. The score of farmer's syndrome was significantly related to age, sex, work load, BEPSI, trait anxiety by multiple regression. Farmer's syndrome was significantly related to increasing age(odd ratio 1.079, 95% C.I. 1.060 - 1.099), sex(odds ratio of male 0.434, 95% C.I. 0.349 - 0.540), and BEPSI(odds ratio 1.231, 95% C.I. 1.148 - 1.320) by logistic regression. Results of logistic regression analysis of the component symptoms of farmer's syndrome were as follows. Shoulder stiffness was significantly related to increasing age, female sex and BEPSI. Lumbago was significantly related to increasing age, female sex and trait anxiety. Numb limbs and nocturia was significantly related to increasing age and female sex. Breathlessness was significantly related to work load, sleeplessness was significantly related to depression, dizziness was significantly related to job and state anxiety, and abdominal fullness was significantly related to female sex. Conclusion : Farmers' syndrome was related to work load, but was more related to psychiatric factors such as BEPSI and trait anxiety. And the occupation was not risk factor of farmers' syndrome in this study, so further study is needed to investigate the cause of farmers' syndrome.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 1998

To find the prevalence of the Farmer's syndrome and the related factors, we investigated 909 farmers who and older than 30 years and live in Choongju area. The farmers were interviewed individually with a questionnaire from July 18 through 31, 1997. The results are as follows; The prevalence of Farmer's syndrome was 21.0% in male and 45.1% in female. The age prevalence of Farmer's syndrome was higher in thirties and forties than fifties and over sixties in both sex. Farmer's syndrome was significantly higher in low educational status, low income, low family members and more than 20 years of farming group. However, Farmer's syndrome was significantly higher in non smoking and non alcohol intake group, there were no significant differences according to smoking and alcohol intake after stratification by sex. The most frequent symptom in male was lumbago(60.5%), the second was numb limb(49.8%), the third was shoulder stiffness(43.2%) and the fourth was dizziness(31.5%). In female, the most frequent symptom was lumbago(81.3%), the second was numb limb(70.2%), the third was dizziness(62.2%) and the fourth was shoulder stiffness(55.9%). All of these four symptoms are significantly higher in female than in male. With multiple logistic regression for Farmer's syndrome, sex(OR of female=3.3) number of family(OR of <=1.9) and duration of farming(OR of $\geq$2.0 yr=1.5) were turned out to be significant variables.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.93-102
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• 1993

The symptoms of farmer's syndrome that occurred to Korean farmers are due to the specific characteristics of Korean agriculture, and the basic reasons are poverty and less-privileged rural cultural life originated from social and political conditions. Then the purposes of this study are to investigate farmer's syndrome of farmers and to get substantial data to make a strategy that could prevent diseases. The results are as follows: 1. The most common symptom was lumbago(83.0%) among the 7 kinds of symptoms of farmer's syndrome. And it was more common among women who deliver babies and also work house chores and 10 farms than men(p<0.05). 2. The numbers of symptoms of farmer's syndrome increased as age increases and, 71.4% of those aged 70-79 complained some of the symptoms. 3. The accident rate due to agricultural machine was significantly higher in men than women(p<0.05). By frequency contusion was the most common trauma, fall, fracture were the nexts, and the age group with highest accident rate(40%) was those aged 20-29. 4. To see the significantly correlated factors between faemer's syndrome and sociodemo graphic variables, the more the numbers of family members were, the more lumbago and the less heartburn occurred. And the less gross income was the more frequent nocturnal urinary frequency occurred, and the wider the farming land was the more frequent noctural urinary frequency occurred. 5. As result of correlation coefficient between the numbers of illnesses and sociodemographic variables, the larger the family was and the larger the farming land was the more illnesses the subjects had, and those without spouses had more illnesses.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.18.1-18.8
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• 2016

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with depression and suicidal ideation in a rural population. Methods A survey was conducted with 543 farmers from Chungcheongnam-do Province using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for depression, Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS) for social support, Swedish Q16 for neurotoxicity symptoms and a survey tool for farmer's syndrome. Results After adjusting for socioeconomic factors using logistic regression analysis, poor self-rated health, low social support and neurotoxicity were positively associated with the risk of depression (odds ratio [OR], 15.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.11 to 81.97; OR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.26 to 7.82; and OR, 3.68; 95% CI, 1.08 to 12.57, respectively). The risk of suicidal ideation significantly increased with low social support, neurotoxicity and farmer's syndrome (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.18 to 4.40; OR, 6.17; 95% CI, 2.85 to 13.34; and OR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.51 to 9.07, respectively). Conclusions Given the overall results of this study, there is a need to establish programs which can improve the health and social relationships of farmers. Also, when farmers have neurological symptoms from pesticide exposure and characteristic symptoms of farmer's syndrome, a monitoring system for depression and suicide must be made available.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2000

This study was conducted to reveal the effects of musculoskeletal risk factor on farmer's syndrome. We sampled 97 farmers aged above 30 in 3 villages of Kyunggi-do. Self-administered questionnaire for general characteristics, farmer's syndrome, musculoskeletal risk factor, blood pressure, and laboratory tests were conducted. According to the score of musculoskeletal risk factor, we divide the subjects high risk group and low risk group. The most common musculoskeletal risk factor is repetitiveness, bending of waist and rapid movement in order. The prevalence of farmer's syndrome of all subjects is 28.9%. In female the prevalence of farmer's syndrome(45.2%) is higher than in male(16.4%) significantly. High musculoskeletal risk group had higher score of farmer's syndrome(5.9) than low musculoskeletal risk group(4.4). The most common symptom is lumbago(76.3%), the second was numb limb and shoulder stiffness(54.6%, 54.6%). The prevalence of numb limb and shoulder stiffness higher in high musculoskeletal risk group than low musculoskeletal risk group, but that of lumbago did not show significant differences. In linear regression, score of farmer's syndrome was related to musculoskeletal risk factor as well as gender. Blood pressure and laboratory test did not show significant differences between two groups. These results suggest that musculoskeletal risk factor would influence farmer's syndrome. Further ergonomic evaluation and intervention of farmer's works and musculoskeletal diseases are needed.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.13-33
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• 1999

The aim of this study was to investigate fatigue scores, physical complaints, farmer's syndrome and to find out its risk factors among farmers. The questionnaire survey was conducted to 177 vinyl house workers and 213 farmers who lived in Chongyang gun of Chungnam province from February 24 to March 15, 1998. The obtained main results were followings; 1. The fatigue scores were not significantly different between vinyl house workers and farmers. The fatigue scores were higher in female group, lower education group, shorter sleep hours group(under 8 hours), nonsmoker, nondrinker group than otherwise groups. There was not statistically significant difference between the mean fatigue scores and age, eating habit and body mass index. Duration of farming years in vinyl house and farming area and number of farming workers in farmers family showed a slight relationship with the fatigue score. 2. Health scores were not different between vinyl house workers and farmers. The health states was poorer in female group, lower education group, shorter sleep hours group(under 8 hours), nonsmoker group, and nondrinker group than otherwise groups by health scores. Health scores were not related with age, eating habit and body mass index. 3. The proportion of farmer's syndrome was 49.1% in vinyl house workers and 52.1% in farmers. That was higher in female than in male and the higher proportion was found in the lower education group of vinyl house workers and farmers. The proportion of farmer's syndrome was higher in the group of smoker, alcohol drinkers and over or under weight in vinyl house workers, but did not differ in those of farmers. 4. By multiple logistic regression, sex and sleep hours were risk factors affecting to farmer's syndrome. Odds ration for female group was 2.53 (reference group was male) and that for over 8 sleep hours group was 0.74 (reference group was under 8 sleep hours group). 5. The chief complaints by CMI were "I am difficult to work due to aching the back and the limbs", "I feel prickle pain in the limbs", "I sometimes have a twinge in the limbs", "I am not quite well as having a pain in the limbs", "I feel weaker grasping power than before" in both of vinyl house workers and farmers. Vinyl house workers more frequently pointed out skin darkening, skin disease and hemorrhoids than farmers. 6. According to correspondence analysis, skin disease of vinyl house workers was related to vinyl house farmers and digestive and general symptom was associated with male and endocrinological and muscular symptom was associated with female in vinyl house workers. And it revealed that farmer's syndrome was highly related with female and farmers relatively. By the above results, the fatigue scores, perceive health and farmer's syndrome did not much differ in two groups, but aged female farmers should be considered as female farmers represented higher fatigue score, farmers syndrome and poorer perceive health than male farmers in addition to farmer's syndrome was increased with ageing process. Also feeble but distinguished symptoms which might be due to working environment were observed especially in vinyl house workers and that should be considered and investigated continuously.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.101-119
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• 2004

Objectives: In order to estimate risk factors affecting the health of vinylhouse workers and harmful environments in vinylhouse working. Methods: The investigator performed questionnaires and laboratory examinations on 102 vinylhouse workers and 69 farmers in 7 myoens (Korean subcounties). one eup (a Korean town), Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do between April 8 and 18, 2004 (for 11 days), and measured the heavy metal in the air and the soil, temperature, humidity, air current, harmful gases in vinylhouses. Results: Even in cloudy days, the temperature in vinylhouses in daylight was $33.4^{\circ}$ and the temperature difference between inside and outside vinylhouses was around $16^{\circ}$. Oxygen concentration was similar inside and outside vinylhouses, while carbon dioxide concentration was lower inside than outside vinylhouses. Carbon monoxide was not detected. In the air inside vinylhouses, cadmium was not detected. Lean concentration in the soil was lower inside vinylhouses than outside vinylhouses at surface, while cadmium concentration was similar inside and outside vinylhouses in the soil except some areas. Out of male vinylhouse workers. 16.4---- were positive farmer's syndrome and 49.2---- were suspicious, while out of females, 41.5---- were positive and 46.3---- were suspicious. Out of male farmers, 30.4---- were positive farmer's syndrome, while out of female farmers, 60.0---- were positive and 28.3---- were suspicious. There was no difference between vinylhouse workers and farmers in the distribution of hypertension and abnormal liver function, while diabetes mellitus was more common in farmers than in vinylhouse workers. Vinylhouse working, sex, and hours of farming per day were selected as significant variables affecting farmer's syndrome in this study, and the rate of positive farmer's syndrome was rather lower in vinylhouse workers than in farmers. Females were higher than males in the rate, and those who farmed at least 10 hours per day were higher in the rate than those who farmed less than 10 hours per day. Out of the vinylhouse workers, no differences were found between the distribution of farmer's syndrome and farming-related variables such as the total period of farming, the size of farm land, the mean farming hours per day, the number of family members who farm together, the frequency of scattering agricultural chemicals. In addition, there were no differences between the distribution and the wearing masks and protectors and personal sanitation among those who scattered agricultural chemicals by themselves. There were no differences found in blood lean concentration, urinary cadmium concentration, serum cholinesterase, and hemoglobin according to the distribution of farmer's syndrome. In the vinylhouse workers, females were higher than males in the rate of farmer's syndrome, and those who farmed at least 10 hours per day were higher in the rate than those who farmed less than 10 hours per day. Meanwhile, the rate was lower in those who slept at least 8 hours a day than in those who slept less than 8 hours. Conclusions: In conclusion, the physical environments inside vinylhouses were harmful, but no significant difference was found in harmfulness of the chemical environments. The chronic diseases such as farmer's syndrome. hypertension, diabetes, and dyshepatia were not common in the vinylhouse workers than in the farmers. Meanwhile, farmer's syndrome was more common in the vinylhouse workers who worked longer and slept less.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 1998

This paper is conducted to find out the current status of farmers's syndrome and injuries due to agricultural machines and pesticides by questionnaire during 4 days from July 31 to August 2, 1996. The subjects were 706 people, 332 of men and 384 of women those who live in a rural area in Yungduk-gun, Kyungsangbuk-do, Korea. The results obtained are as follow. 1. The rate of farmer's syndrome like that shoulder pain, lumbago, numbness, nocturia, dyspnea, insomnia dizziness and abdominal pain were generally higher in women than men except shoulder pain. Of them, lumbago was highest, 61.2% in men, and 78.1% in women respectively. It was higher in rate and older in age. 2. In the score of farmer's syndrome classified by Kumagai(1943) in Japan, the suspected cases with three points over 60.6% in men and 81.8% in women. 3. The prevalence of injuries by agricultural machine was 31.2% for a year from August 1995 to July 1996. The cumulative rate was 6.66%(11.8% in men and 2.34% in women) with previous cases from the before years. The major sites of injuries were arm, leg and chest in order. Among the injuries cases, 55.32% had been physical impediment. 4. The experience rate of intoxication by pesticides was 24.9% to total subjects. And dermatologic sign was 7.0%. Experience of treatment with only one time was 60.0%, and that with five times over, 20.0% Of them 18 cases had been administered in hospital.