Risk factors associated with sick leave due to work-related injuries in Dutch farmers: an exploratory case-control study

Using data from an insurance company, the occurrence of sick leave among Dutch farmers due to work-related injuries, and the epidemiological risk factors were investigated. In this case-control study the cases had filed a sick leave claim for work-related injury from 1998–2001 and the controls had not filed any claim in this period. Most (74%) of all injuries were work-related. The most frequent types of injury (63%) were bruises, sprains/strains and fractures. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that farmers working in dairy farming (OR=2.6) or pig husbandry (OR=2.7), older farmers (OR=1.48 per 10 years) and smokers (OR=1.7) were at increased risk. Within dairy farming, a significant factor was contact with cows (OR=1.7 per 500 h); within pig husbandry, working > 60 h per week was a significant factor (OR=2.2). The population attributable risk was 24% for elimination of smoking, 23% for halving the number of hours' contact with cows in dairy farming and 18% for elimination of a working duration > 60 h per week in pig husbandry. Effective measures to prevent sick leave might be raising awareness that older farmers and smokers are at increased risk, and a focus on the risks of working with animals.