Citation

Shah SM, Hagel LM, Lim H, Koehncke N, Dosman JA. Can. J. Public Health 2011; 102(1): 51-54.

Affiliation

Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE. syeds@uaeu.ac.ae

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Canadian Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

21485967

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to estimate farm fatality rates and to describe patterns of fatal agricultural injury on Saskatchewan farms from 1990 to 2004. METHODS: We used data available from the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP) for farm work-related fatalities in Saskatchewan, Canada from January 1990 to December 2004. RESULTS: There were 251 farm work-related fatalities recorded between 1990 and 2004 in Saskatchewan. The majority (92%) of work-related fatalities were in males. The overall fatality rate was 11.9 (95% CI, 2.0-30.1) per 100,000. The overall age-adjusted work-related fatality rate was 32.1 (95% CI, 19.6-44.6) per 100,000 among males and 3.2 (95% CI, 1.3-5.1) per 100,000 among females. Age-adjusted rate increased from 29.3 (95% CI, 6.9-59.3) per 100,000 in 1990-1994 to 37.1 per 100,000 in 2000-2004 in males. Trend analysis of the fatality rate of all cases showed an average annual increase of 3.8% and it was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Bystander and runover injuries contributed to a high proportion of fatalities in children (32.1%) and the elderly population (26.7%). CONCLUSION: The burden of injury mortality is substantial and there has been a statistically significant upward trend in injury rate over the 15-year study period. High vigilance is needed on the part of adults to prevent a high proportion of runover injuries in children and the elderly population.

Language: en