The Role of Child and Adolescent Development in the Occurrence of Agricultural Injuries: An Illustration Using Tractor-Related Injuries

ABSTRACT

Agricultural settings are dangerous, especially for children. This article focuses on child and adolescent development, and how development might influence children's safety in the occurrence of pediatric farm injuries. The authors focus especially on one of the most traumatic causes of pediatric farm injury, those associated with tractor operation. The roles of physical, perceptual, cognitive, and social development are reviewed and discussed, as are relevant sociocultural factors. Following review of developmental risks for child injury in agricultural settings, the authors present a case study of a fatal youth tractor injury and provide illustrations of the child development factors that may have contributed to the death. The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications of developmental aspects of pediatric agricultural injury for behaviorally oriented intervention strategies, including public policy.

Keywords:

• Adolescent development
• agriculture
• child development
• farming
• injury
• pediatrics
• rural health
• safety
• tractors

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Barbara Marlenga, PhD, for her insightful comments.