Optimizing implementation of interventions in agriculture for occupational upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders: Results of an expert panel.
Lucas M Bosch, Henk F van der Molen, Monique H W Frings-Dresen
PMID 30373985WHAT IT FOUND
Consultants identified attitude, knowledge and culture as key drivers for implementing upper limb injury prevention in farms.
Barriers included employer denial of work-related causes and worker reluctance to use aids due to peer pressure, rather than technical issues.
Key findings
01Employer and worker attitude were the most critical themes for implementation success or failure.
02Workers often refused technical aids due to peer pressure and a sense of bravado.
03Consultants reported no difference in barriers between carpal tunnel, epicondylitis and shoulder complaints.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Data was reported by consultants, not directly by the employers or workers themselves. The sample was small (9 participants) and limited to one country's specific agricultural health service model. No individual company data was retrieved, so findings are generalised across the sector.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these themes as evidence that specific interventions work. The study reports consultants' perceptions of barriers to implementation, not clinical outcomes or efficacy of the treatments themselves.