Journal article
At What Age Should Children Engage in Agricultural Tasks?
The Journal of rural health, Vol.28(4), pp.372-379
09/01/2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-0361.2012.00412.x
PMID: 23083083
Abstract
Purpose: We compared parents perceived-as-appropriate ages with actual-performance ages for their children engaging in selected agricultural tasks or practices, and we examined the factors associated with age discrepancy. Methods: We analyzed data from the Keokuk County Rural Health Study collected among parents of children age 17 or younger. Parents were interviewed separately regarding the age of their children's involvement in 14 selected agricultural tasks and their opinions about appropriate age of involvement. Findings: Of the 264 families included, 86.5% with a son and 69.8% with a daughter reported having children involved in at least 1 of 14 selected agricultural tasks. The average actual-performance ages for children to be involved in any of the tasks were younger than those that parents perceived appropriate. Furthermore, in 6 of the 9 North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) that we assessed, parents perceived-as-appropriate ages were younger than minimum ages recommended by the NAGCAT. Driving an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was the most common task with actual-performance age younger than the NAGCAT-recommended age; 53.0% of boys (n = 106) and 36.1% of girls (n = 61) did so under the recommended age. Boys and children who live on a farm, or whose parents have been or are farmers, were significantly more likely to perform agricultural tasks at earlier ages. Conclusions: Our results suggest farm parents and other rural stakeholders need to be better educated and encouraged to follow the NAGCAT guidelines, and that multilevel interventions need to be developed to ensure protection of children from agricultural injury and death.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- At What Age Should Children Engage in Agricultural Tasks?
- Creators
- Jingzhen Yang - University of IowaErin O'Gara - University of IowaGang Cheng - University of IowaKevin M. Kelly - University of IowaMarizen Ramirez - University of IowaLeon F. Burmeister - University of IowaJames A. Merchant - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Journal of rural health, Vol.28(4), pp.372-379
- Publisher
- Wiley
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1748-0361.2012.00412.x
- PMID
- 23083083
- ISSN
- 0890-765X
- eISSN
- 1748-0361
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- UO7/CCU 706145 / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; United States Department of Health & Human Services; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA; National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/01/2012
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology; Occupational and Environmental Health; Community and Behavioral Health
- Record Identifier
- 9984282620202771
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