AgTeen Farm Safety Research
Project Description:
The Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD) has received $1.1 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to research methods to prevent agricultural youth injuries.
Agriculture is the most dangerous industry for young workers, accounting for 42% of all work-related fatalities of young workers between 1992 and 2000. According to NIOSH, half the young victims in agriculture were under age 15 [NIOSH 2003].
One of the main differences between agriculture and other industries is the presence of children in the work site. Farming is typically a family business, where children are raised on the farm and participate in farming activities beginning at young ages. Annually, more than 100 children are killed and 26,000 seriously injured in farm-related events in the United States.
Adults are the primary agent for determining the safety of youth on farms. Researchers at the University of Georgia will examine factors which cause adults to adopt protective activities for youth on their farms or cease activities which increase risk for youth.
The project, entitled AgTeen, will focus on farm families who have children 10 through 19 years old and are engaged in cotton and/or peanut farming.
"We have chosen cotton and peanut crops due to the fact few safety guidelines have been developed for the equipment specific to these crops," said Dr. Zolinda Stoneman, Director of IHDD and AgTeen Principal Investigator. Georgia ranks nationally number one in acres for peanut production and number two in acres for cotton production.
The AgTeen study will be conducted by researchers at The Institute on Human Development and Disability in the College of Family & Consumer Sciences and the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Keyword(s):
Farm Saftey Youth injuries
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities
Target Audience:
General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Other
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Mulit-County
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
