Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Occupational health and safety

Associations of Occupational Exposures on Environmental Allergies Among Farmers and Ranchers in the Central United States
Explores demographics and occupational exposures associated with allergies among farmers in 7 states. Notes public health implications based on study findings and highlights opportunities for further research.
Author(s): Alexandrea Welch, Cheryl Beseler, Yi Du, Shaun Cross, Risto H. Rautiainen
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 2026
Date: 04/2026
view details
Access to Phones and Use of International Numbers Among Farmworkers in North Carolina, 2023–2024
Explores access to and use of phones among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina to identify barriers to managing healthcare and reporting emergencies. Discusses how international phone numbers impact participation with the healthcare system.
Author(s): Abdul G. Zahra, Leslie E. Cofie, Catherine E. LePrevost, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 2026
Date: 04/2026
view details
H5N1 Focus Groups with Dairy and Poultry Workers Summary Report: May - September 2025
Summarizes focus group discussions among dairy and poultry workers about their knowledge of H5N1, hygienic and biosecurity practices on dairy farms, and barriers to healthcare access.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Farmworker Health
view details
Agricultural Injuries With Dementia: Double Whammy?
Analyzes dementia and injury data to identify trends in injury mechanisms and severity among 251,910 adults over 60 in both the agricultural and nonagricultural population. Compares 3 groups of people: those with an agricultural injury and a dementia diagnosis, those with an agricultural injury and no dementia diagnosis, and those with a dementia diagnosis but no agricultural injury.
Author(s): Kanika Arora, Jonathan Davis, Lila B. Basnet, Julie Bobitt
Citation: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2026
Date: 04/2026
view details
Workplace Violence Prevention: Impacting Providers and Patients, with Kathy Griffis
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Kathy Griffis, Chief Operating Officer of Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Focuses on her facility's recent efforts to reduce violence and ensure safe healthcare environments for their staff and patients. Part 3 in a 3-part series from the December 2025 Health Innovation Potluck held in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Environmental Risk Factors and Iowa's Cancer Crisis: A 2026 Report
Reports on environmental factors influencing the high incidence of cancer in Iowa, including detailed discussion on cancer risks related to pesticides, PFAS, nitrates, radon, and other topics related to agricultural and industrial safety. Provides recommendations for strengthening environmental health in agricultural policy.
Author(s): Colleen Fowle, Sarah Howe, Kerri Johannsen, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Iowa Environmental Council, The Harkin Institute
view details
Cancer in Iowa 2026
Provides data on cancer incidence, characteristics, and survival in Iowa. Provides county-level estimates of new cancers, cancer deaths, and those living with cancer as of 2026. Features a section on how cancer impacts Iowa's farming population and related issues of agricultural health, drinking water quality, and pesticide use.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Cancer Registry
view details
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
view details
Working on Wellness: The Rural Health and Employment Link
Examines the relationship between rural population health outcomes and employment security. Provides data on labor force participation, life expectancy, unhealthy days, and disability rates across the rural-urban continuum. Discusses metro versus nonmetro differences in workplace hazards and physical exertion.
Author(s): Surekha Carpenter, Bethany Greene, Stephanie Norris
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
view details
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
view details