Primary Presenter: Brandi Janssen, PhD, University of Iowa.
Additional Presenter: Matthew Nonnenmann, PhD, University of Iowa.
Learning Objective: To understand the barriers to conducting on-farm health and safety research.
Abstract: Although it is well known that broiler chicken producers experience high levels of exposure to organic dusts, it has been challenging to develop interventions that measurably improve the use of respiratory protection by growers. This study originated as an intervention designed to increase respirator use among broiler chicken producers; however, growers were unwilling to attend events organized by the project leaders. Based on open-ended phone interviews with 30 broiler chicken growers, this presentation considers the issue of trust as it relates to federally funded research on farms. While producers are open to information that will improve the safety of their operations, they express discomfort with researchers’ agendas and suggest that researchers are not well informed about the culture of agriculture. Based on qualitative analysis of the interview data, we suggest that ! agricultural safety and health researchers must attend to the slow, but important, process of building rapport with their target communities, clearly articulating their research agenda, and recognizing the production constraints that may hamper public health interventions in agriculture.
A/V Needs: LCD Projector/Laptop
Oral presentation, 30 minutes