Characteristics of Evaluated Childhood Agricultural Safety Interventions

ABSTRACT

The goal of this paper was to examine interventions focused on childhood agricultural safety since the last general assessment conducted for the 2001 Summit on Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention. The objectives were to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the knowledge base and identify challenges to and recommendations for improving programs, interventions, and policies. Published literature from 2001 to 2009 was identified and reviewed. We found 26 studies evaluating the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing farm-related injuries to children. There were mixed results in a number of studies, weak methods in many, and a lack of randomized controlled trials, in particular. Most interventions focused on the individual level of the socio ecological model and only on education as a strategy, with behavior change and knowledge acquisition as the objectives. Although more studies have been published in recent years, the quality of the research and intervention design has not necessarily improved. Based upon this review, key recommendations for future childhood agricultural safety interventions are proposed.

Keywords:

• Children
• youth
• agriculture
• safety interventions
• injury prevention
• evaluation

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a subcontract from the National Children's Center for Rural Agricultural Health and Safety funded by NIOSH grant 5U54OH009568. Appreciation is extended to Sana Shahram and Megan Coffman, graduate student research assistants on the project who helped with the literature review, developing the categories, and coding. Gratitude is also owed to Marcy Fitz-Randolph, then of the National Children's Center, for assistance with literature search and classification of variables.