Health and work in rural populations

Solomon, Christine Lorraine (2006) Health and work in rural populations. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

This project was designed to investigate symptoms associated with pesticide exposure during agricultural work; in particular the proposed long-term effects of OP pesticide exposure.  I conducted a large postal survey, in three agricultural areas, Devon, the Welsh Borders and Lincolnshire.

Concerning pesticides, our main findings among agricultural workers were that acute symptoms shortly after pesticide use were common, but there was no evidence of a syndrome specific to sheep dip use.  Long term symptoms, of the type that have been associated with OP use, were common in both users of sheep dip and in non-users. There was a strong association of tendency to somatise with both acute and longer term symptoms, suggesting that psychosomatic factors could have an impact on symptom reporting.  Among users of sheep dip, amount of use was associated with short-term and longer-term symptoms.

Accidental injury was common among agricultural workers but types of injury were similar to that in non-agricultural occupations.  Estimated accident rates from this study were considerably higher than rates for accidents reported under RIDDOR, particularly among self-employed agricultural workers.

Regarding other health problems, some were found to be more common among agricultural workers than in other occupations, particularly hip OA and Raynaud’s phenomenon.  However, despite recognised risk factors in agricultural work, hearing difficulty, hernia and anxiety and depression were similar in prevalence to that in non-agricultural workers, and hay fever and skin cancer were reported less in agricultural workers.  Men were less likely to have left an agricultural job because of ill health than other occupations.

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