Physical activity and work activities in Florida agricultural workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Environmental health
• Agricultural science

Background:

• Working in hot, humid conditions increases the risk of heat-related illnesses.
• Agricultural workers are at high risk for heat-related mortality in the U.S.
• Limited data exists on physical activity levels of agricultural workers in field settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure physical activity and work activities in Florida agricultural workers.
• To examine the association between environmental temperature and physical activity.
• To stratify findings by agricultural sector.

Main Methods:

• 244 agricultural workers (18-54 years) in fernery, nursery, and crop operations were studied (2015-2017).
• Accelerometer-based physical activity and work activities were measured.
• Environmental temperature data was used to calculate wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT); regression models were applied.

Main Results:

• Fernery workers exhibited the highest physical activity, with nearly 4 hours of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily.
• Physical activity patterns differed across agricultural sectors.
• Only crop workers reduced physical activity as environmental temperature increased.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity levels varied by agricultural sector, sex, and age, necessitating tailored interventions.
• Some workers continued high activity levels in dangerous heat, impacting worker health policies.
• Further research is needed on physical activity, climate, and heat disorders in this population.