Work-related injuries among Iowa farm operators: An analysis of the Iowa Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project

In 1994, the Iowa Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project carried out a two‐stage, stratified, cluster survey of Iowa farms using a mail survey. With data from this representative sample of Iowa farmers, we examined the associations between farm‐work–related injuries and possible risk factors for 390 principal farm operators. Forty (10.3%) of these operators reported being injured while doing farm work. We developed a logistic regression to assess associations between potential risk factors and injury. We found three factors significantly associated with injury: younger age (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1, confidence interval [CI] = 1.1–9.3), having an impairment or health problem that limits work (OR = 2.4, CI = 1.5–3.8), and hand or arm exposure to acids or alkalis (OR = 2.6, CI = 1.1–5.9). In the univariate analysis, safety training did not seem to protect farmers from injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 33:510–517, 1998. Published 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.