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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UC SEEKS FARMER COOPERATION IN LONG-TERM STUDY OF FARMERS' HEALTH - OCT. 14 FRESNO - University of California scientists are asking 50 of the San Joaquin Valley farmers who have already participated in the UC Davis Farmer Health Study to travel to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for complete lung function testing, including spirometry and a high-resolution CAT scan. The farmers will receive free accommodations and compensation for their time and travel expenses. The 50 farmers must be among the 374 valley farm operators who were part of an in-depth investigation of farmer health conducted in 1995 and 1996, when researchers monitored the participants for lung function and recorded breathing problems, according to study coordinator Dianne Mitchell of the UC Davis Center for Health and the Environment. UC will begin contacting the farmers in late October. Farmers who were participants in the 1995 study may initiate contact by calling Mitchell at (800) 654-0515, or e-mailing dcmitchell@ucdavis.edu. The UC Davis Farmer Health Study was established to assess the levels of chronic and acute disease and injury associated with farming, and identify the risk factors for these problems. Following is a chronology of the Farmer Health Study: 1993 - A random sample of 1,947 farms selected from all over the state of California were surveyed. To be included in the study, farms had to have annual production of at least $1,000 and participants interviewed had to be a primary operator making day-to-day management decisions - either the owner or manager. 1995 - The researchers determined that the respiratory health of farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, with its dry climate and soils containing high levels of inorganic minerals such as silicates and crystalline silica, is of particular concern. They conducted more in-depth interviews with 777 farmers from the 1993 group who farm in the San Joaquin Valley. Researchers monitored 374 of the farmers for their lung function in the field and recorded breathing problems. 1998 - Researchers contacted the participants of the 1993 survey by phone. These follow-up interviews with 1,349 farm operators allowed investigators to compare changes in health and the physical ability to do farming work with changes in farming practices. Information was also gathered concerning spouses and children. 2002 - 50 San Joaquin Valley farmers will be part of an in-depth evaluation of lung function. Already, the UC Davis Farmer Health Study has revealed important findings, Mitchell said. In 1993, investigators observed that the longer farm operators worked in dusty jobs, the higher the number of breathing problems, such as persistent wheeze, chronic cough or bronchitis. The researchers also learned that specific farming tasks involving exposure to hay or straw, operating tractors or mechanical harvesters were associated with an increased prevalence of persistent wheezing. Working in vineyards was another risk factor for respiratory symptoms. "If dust production is unavoidable, protective barriers, such as enclosed cabs on tractors and properly fitting and functioning dust masks, need to be used," Mitchell said. "Scarves are almost worthless, as are many ill-fitting dust masks." Another example of the results is the discovery that more than 20 percent of farm operators surveyed said they had suffered some sort of cancer. Among those, about 85 percent were treated for skin cancer, a condition commonly associated with sun exposure. "Reducing sun exposure by the use of sun screen, long-sleeved shirts and hats with adequate brims - not baseball caps - will reduce the risk of this preventable cancer," Mitchell said. The UC Davis Farmer Health Study is looking at many health conditions, including skin problems, allergies, hazard exposures, arthritis and injury. In 2003 and 2004, researchers will again contact as many of the 1,349 farm operators who participated in the 1998 study as possible to continue monitoring farming practices and health changes. ### |
