Finnish farmers' self-reported morbidity, work ability, and functional capacity.

The aim of the study was to evaluate Finnish farmers' self-reported morbidity, especially musculoskeletal disease and disabilities, work ability, physical fitness, and functional capacity. A further goal was to identify the group of farmers that most need a means to promote their work ability. The data were collected with a computer-assisted telephone interview. The study population comprised of 577 full-time farmers (296 men and 281 women). The results have been expressed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals determined in a logistic regression analysis. The farmers with the greatest need for activities that support and promote work ability are those over 34 years of age, female farmers, farmers with fewer than 10 years of education, farmers from farms with fewer than 20 hectares of cultivated land, farmers who milk cows regularly, and depressed farmers.