Farmers, mechanized work, and links to obesity

Abstract

Objective: In a contemporary sample of Saskatchewan farm people, to relate the degree of mechanized and also non-mechanized farm work to the occurrence of being overweight or obese. Secondarily to determine the prevalence of being overweight or obese, and to compare these prevalence levels with those reported for general populations.

Method: Cross-sectional analyses of baseline survey data provided for 2849 individuals (2619 adults) from 1216 Saskatchewan farms in 2013. Age/sex-standardized prevalence levels of overweight and obesity were compared between the farm cohort and general populations. Durations of specific types of work were described by metabolic equivalent scoring. Multi-level binomial regression was used to study relations between mechanized and also non-mechanized farm work with overweight and obesity.

Results: Overall, 65.1% of the adult farm cohort was overweight (39.6%) or obese (25.5%), with prevalence levels that exceeded estimated norms for Canada but not the province of Saskatchewan. Increases in risks for obesity were related to higher amounts of mechanized but not non-mechanized farm work.

Conclusion: While the mechanization of farm work has obvious benefits in terms of productivity, its potential effects on risks for overweight and obesity must be recognized.

Keywords: Agriculture; Epidemiology; Farming; Machinery; Obesity; Occupational health.