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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Agricultural health and safety

Health Concerns of Women in Agriculture in the Midwestern United States
Presents a study exploring the health and safety needs of women working as agricultural producers. Bases findings on a survey of 120 agricultural women in Nebraska. Explores concerns about zoonotic diseases, reproductive health concerns, musculoskeletal disorders, and mental health challenges, among other issues common to agricultural work.
Author(s): Cheryl L. Beseler, Megan Lutt, Alex Egbuchiem, Ellen G. Duysen
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 31, 11-19
Date: 01/2026
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Grain Fever Revisited: The Enduring Challenge of Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome
Editorial discussing organic dust toxic syndrome, a respiratory condition prevalent in agricultural workers. Highlights challenges with diagnosing the condition, prevention measures, and the need for additional research.
Author(s): James Latimer
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 2026
Date: 2026
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Personal Protective Equipment for Influenza A (H5N1) in High-Risk Farm Settings: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes discussions from a workshop on H5N1 in farm settings. Includes information on transmission, best practices for personal protective equipment (PPE), PPE innovation, outreach regarding PPE use, and research needs on effectiveness of PPE for H5N1.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Lyme Disease Educational Session & Evaluation in Nelson, Albemarle, and Henrico Counties, Virginia 2025
Evaluates the effectiveness of an educational session for outdoor workers in rural Virginia on Lyme disease using a train-the-trainer model. Discusses both the knowledge gained during the educational session and experience using a train-the-trainer model. Includes recommendations regarding lesson delivery and materials, as well as including information on other tick-borne illnesses.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Farmworker Health
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NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program: Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2023
Highlights the work of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Extramural Research and Training Program in fiscal year 2023 including funding distribution, research activity, and more. Includes information on the work of the Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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Harvesting Risk: An Ecologic Study of Agricultural Practices and Patterns and Melanoma Incidence in Pennsylvania
Examines associations between melanoma incidence, agricultural land use, and herbicide-treated acreage in a 15-county cluster in southern Pennsylvania including both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties, utilizing 2017-2021 PA Cancer Registry data. Discusses how environmental, occupational, and behavioral challenges related to agriculture and cancer incidence are shared among urban and rural communities.
Author(s): Benjamin J. Marks, Jiangang Liao, Charlene Lam, Camille Moeckel, Eugene J. Lengerich
Citation: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 9, e2500160
Date: 11/2025
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Staying Strong on the Job: Physical and Psychosocial Benefits of Exercise for Agricultural Workers
Evaluates the impact of an exercise program among 25 agricultural workers. The program aimed to improve strength to reduce workplace injuries. Discusses both measured and perceived changes in functional capacity.
Author(s): Nicholas Spokely, Diego Diaz-Vega, Lindsey Phillips Abernathy, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 31(1)
Date: 11/2025
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Dissemination of Heat Safety Practices among Florida Farmworker Crews
Explores the efficacy of heat related illness safety training for farmworkers working on harvesting crews in Florida. Breaks down participants post-intervention rates of hydration knowledge, risk perception, and buy-in, among other measures.
Author(s): Miranda Carver Martin, Linda Forst, Michael Siciliano, et al.
Citation: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 67(8), e518-e524
Date: 08/2025
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The Most Important Thing is to Know What to Wear When Working in the Sun
Presents findings of focus groups with 54 Spanish-speaking crop workers about their access to and preferences regarding optimal workplace clothing for hot conditions. Discusses strategies for increasing access to optimal clothing including the role of the employer.
Author(s): Whitney Pennington, Yessica Martinez, Kayna Hobbs-Murphy, John Resecrance, Morgan Valley
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(4), 692-700
Date: 08/2025
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Applying the NIOSH Worker Well-Being Framework to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: Insights From the Literature
Highlights a study on the efficacy of applying the NIOSH Worker Well-Being Framework to the health and well-being of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Explores how the structure of the framework is described in studies of farmworkers and the ways in which the structure is not aligned.
Author(s): Tessa Bonney, Dana Madigan, Vinay Espinosa-Ravi, Linda Forst
Citation: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 68(7), 573-587
Date: 07/2025
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