Using a smartphone application to capture daily work activities: a longitudinal pilot study in a farming population

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Occupational Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Smartphones are increasingly used for real-time data collection on time-varying exposures.
• Assessing agricultural task variability is crucial for understanding farmer exposures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using a smartphone application to collect real-time data on intermittent agricultural activities.
• To characterize agricultural task variability in a longitudinal study of farmers.

Main Methods:

• 19 male farmers (aged 50-60) used the 'Life in a Day' app over 6 months on 24 selected days.
• A study-specific database of 350 farming tasks was developed, with 152 linked to follow-up questions.
• Data collected included eligibility, compliance, activity counts, durations, and responses to questions.

Main Results:

• Feasibility was demonstrated, with 11 farmers completing the study.
• Data were obtained for 279 days and 1,321 activities, predominantly related to animals, transportation, and equipment.
• Significant variability in activity duration and time-of-year was observed, with crop-related activities showing seasonal differences.

Conclusions:

• Smartphone-based data collection is feasible and compliant for longitudinal studies of farmers.
• Substantial heterogeneity in agricultural activities necessitates individual activity data for accurate exposure assessment.
• Future research should focus on improving the app and including more diverse farming populations.