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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Occupational health and safety

Coal Production and Employment in Appalachia
Examines major trends in coal production and employment in Appalachia between 2000-2022 and assesses how those trends may affect economic performance in the region. Includes a section on health outcomes, with statistics comparing the mortality rate in Appalachian coal counties, Appalachian non-coal counties, and the rest of the United States, as well as the mortality rate in Appalachian coal region subregions.
Author(s): Eric Bowen, Christiadi, John Deskins, Brian Lego
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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Mental Health Matters: Policy Framework on Workforce Mental Health
Policy framework designed to support the development of workforce mental health policies. Discusses nondiscrimination, workplace supports, rural communities, workforce shortages and more.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Fatal Injuries to Agricultural Workers in 2021 Were the Second Lowest in a Decade
Bar chart showing 2021 data on fatal injuries to agricultural workers. Summary includes types of fatal injuries, race and ethnicity, age, sex, and recent fatal agriculture injury trends.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction Database, an Industry-Specific Worker Fatality Surveillance System — United States, 2014–2019
Provides an overview of the creation of the Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) database and shares findings from the first 6 years of data collection. Discusses challenges related to data collection. States that most FOG fatalities occur in rural areas and briefly discusses the impact on emergency response.
Author(s): Kaitlin C. Wingate, Alejandra Ramirez-Cardenas, Ryan Hill, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 72(8), 1-15
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Georgia Farmworker Health Program Service Area
County-level map showing Georgia Farmworker Health Program clinic sites and service areas.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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Occupational COVID-19 Exposures and Illnesses among Workers in California—Analysis of a New Occupational COVID-19 Surveillance System
Results of a study using Doctor's First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness (DFR) surveillance data in California to report on workers affected by occupational SARS-CoV-2 exposures and COVID-19, as well as their outcomes, including lost work time and hospitalizations. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): David Pham Bui, Kathryn Gibb, Martha Fiellin, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13), 6307
Date: 07/2023
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Competencies, Training Needs, and Turnover Among Rural Compared With Urban Local Public Health Practitioners: 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey
Analyzes the rural and urban differences in 29,751 public health workers surveyed regarding competencies, training needs, and workplace stressors. Discusses COVID-19 impacts on public health work.
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Betty Bekemeier, Davis G. Patterson, Kay Schaffer
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 113(6), 689-699
Date: 06/2023
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"Hopeful Forecasting": Farmers Showing Increased Interest in Mental Health Resources
Discusses a growing openness among farmers to accessing mental health resources. Shares insights from experts regarding stigma reduction and challenges that remain in addressing farmers' mental health.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Wildfire Smoke Monitoring for Agricultural Safety and Health in Rural Washington
Highlights a study evaluating the efficacy of a low-cost smoke sampling platforms for monitoring wildfire smoke exposure in agricultural areas in Washington state. Compares several sampling platforms with data from a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health approved system, evaluates results, and makes recommendations.
Author(s): Claire Schollaert, Elena Austin, Edmund Seto, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 28(3), 595-608
Date: 05/2023
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Navigating the Ethical and Methodological Dimensions of a Farm Safety Photovoice Project
Discusses the ethical considerations of the photovoice method of participatory research with a close look at vulnerable populations, privacy considerations, power dynamics in research, and agriculture-specific concerns. Describes an agricultural health and safety photovoice project and how researchers handled these ethical concerns as the project unfolded.
Author(s): Florence A. Becot, Shoshanah M. Inwood, Elizabeth A. Buchanan
Citation: Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 20, 249-263
Date: 05/2023
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