The aging farm population and rural aging research

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Health
• Agricultural Economics

Background:

• Aging farmers experience unique challenges including economic viability, an aging workforce, and increased risk of work-related injury or disability.
• Research on the psychosocial, economic, and demographic dynamics of continued work among aging farmers is under-studied in occupational health and absent in gerontology.
• Existing research often lacks consistent definitions of 'rural,' impacting the ability to analyze variability across rural settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the convergence of gerontological and occupational health research to address challenges faced by aging farmers.
• To highlight the need for interdisciplinary research on the aging agricultural workforce.
• To improve the understanding of aging's impact on the agricultural economy and family farm sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Review of occupational health literature on aging farmers.
• Review of gerontological literature on rural aging.
• Analysis of varying definitions of rural residence across federal agencies and their impact on research.

Main Results:

• Significant gaps exist in both gerontological and occupational health literature regarding aging farmers.
• Inconsistent and inadequate definitions of rural residence in published studies hinder comprehensive analysis.
• There is a clear need for collaborative research to understand the complexities of aging in agriculture.

Conclusions:

• Convergence between gerontology and occupational health researchers is crucial for understanding and supporting aging farmers.
• Improved definition and measurement of rural residence are needed to capture variability in farm and non-farm rural populations.
• Applying a life course perspective from gerontology through longitudinal research is recommended for the occupational health literature on aging farmers.