Occupational exposure: rural Australian farmers’ sun-protective behaviours

Woods, CE; O’Shea, E; Barrett, F; Bookallil, L; East, L; Usher, K

Occupational exposure: rural Australian farmers’ sun-protective behaviours

Woods, CE O’Shea, E Barrett, F Bookallil, L East, L Usher, K

Permalink

Publisher:: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Public Health (Germany), 2020, 28, (6), pp. 675-684
Issue Date:: 2020-12-01

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	2020_Article_.pdf	Published version	325.04 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Woods, CE
dc.contributor.author	O’Shea, E
dc.contributor.author	Barrett, F
dc.contributor.author	Bookallil, L
dc.contributor.author	East, L
dc.contributor.author	Usher, K https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9686-5003
dc.date.accessioned	2021-03-25T11:09:37Z
dc.date.available	2021-03-25T11:09:37Z
dc.date.issued	2020-12-01
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Public Health (Germany), 2020, 28, (6), pp. 675-684
dc.identifier.issn	2198-1833
dc.identifier.issn	1613-2238
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/147527
dc.description.abstract	© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Aim: Australia has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. Farmers are a high-risk population due to mainly outdoor work and subsequent overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The aim of this study was to evaluate farmers’ and farm workers’ personal sun-protection behaviours and their perception of the importance of sun protection. Subjects and methods: Farmers and farm workers (n = 243) were surveyed at rural and regional shows and agricultural events in New South Wales between November 2017 and August 2018. Results: The sun-protective behaviours most frequently reported as always practised were wearing a shirt with a collar (44.8%), wearing a wide-brimmed hat (33.9%), and wearing a long-sleeved shirt (29.6%). Although less than half always practised these behaviours, the majority of farmers ranked these behaviours as very or extremely important: wearing a wide-brimmed hat (89.6%), wearing a shirt with a collar (89.5%), and wearing a long-sleeved shirt (82.3%). Sex (female) and higher level of education was associated with greater sun-protective behaviour. Higher income and health insurance were associated with more positive perceptions of the importance of sun-protective behaviour. Potential skin cancers were detected on 30% of participants who underwent a partial skin check. Conclusion: These results indicate a need for appropriate and targeted primary prevention health education messages to encourage farmers to improve their sun-protection practices and undertake annual skin checks to enable early detection of skin cancers.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Public Health (Germany)
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s10389-019-01089-x
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services
dc.subject.classification	Public Health
dc.title	Occupational exposure: rural Australian farmers’ sun-protective behaviours
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	28
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-03-25T11:09:36Z
pubs.issue	6
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	28
utslib.citation.issue	6

Abstract:

© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Aim: Australia has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. Farmers are a high-risk population due to mainly outdoor work and subsequent overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The aim of this study was to evaluate farmers’ and farm workers’ personal sun-protection behaviours and their perception of the importance of sun protection. Subjects and methods: Farmers and farm workers (n = 243) were surveyed at rural and regional shows and agricultural events in New South Wales between November 2017 and August 2018. Results: The sun-protective behaviours most frequently reported as always practised were wearing a shirt with a collar (44.8%), wearing a wide-brimmed hat (33.9%), and wearing a long-sleeved shirt (29.6%). Although less than half always practised these behaviours, the majority of farmers ranked these behaviours as very or extremely important: wearing a wide-brimmed hat (89.6%), wearing a shirt with a collar (89.5%), and wearing a long-sleeved shirt (82.3%). Sex (female) and higher level of education was associated with greater sun-protective behaviour. Higher income and health insurance were associated with more positive perceptions of the importance of sun-protective behaviour. Potential skin cancers were detected on 30% of participants who underwent a partial skin check. Conclusion: These results indicate a need for appropriate and targeted primary prevention health education messages to encourage farmers to improve their sun-protection practices and undertake annual skin checks to enable early detection of skin cancers.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/147527