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Farm elders define health as the ability to work
Deborah B Reed1, Mary Kay Rayens, Christina K Conley
1University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0232, USA. dbreed01@uky.edu
Workplace Health & Safety
|July 25, 2012
Summary
Older farmers often define health by their ability to work, influenced by factors like race, farm tasks, and health limitations. This perception impacts health behaviors and healthcare approaches for this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Agricultural Health
- Rural Health
Background:
- Older adults (65+) operate a significant portion of U.S. farms (30%).
- Understanding health definitions among older farmers is crucial for targeted health interventions.
- Farmer identity is intrinsically linked to work, potentially influencing health perceptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how older farmers define health.
- To identify demographic, work-related, and health status predictors of these health definitions.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey data from 1,288 family farmers in two southern states.
- Telephone and mailed surveys collected baseline data for a longitudinal study.
- Analysis examined predictors of health definitions, specifically 'ability to work' versus physical health.
Main Results:
- Nearly 42% of older farmers defined health as the "ability to work."
- Predictors for this definition included being White, performing more farm tasks, daily medication use, and fewer work limitations.
- This contrasts with a purely physical health-related definition.
Conclusions:
- Older farmers' health definitions are work-centric, reflecting their occupational identity.
- Understanding these unique health perceptions is vital for developing effective healthcare and health promotion strategies for rural farming communities.
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