Vaarst M, Paarup-Laursen B, Houe H, Fossing C, Andersen H J
Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Tjele.
J Dairy Sci. 2002 Apr;85(4):992-1001. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(02)74159-3.
A qualitative research study was conducted to describe and analyze farmers' perspectives on their own choices regarding decisions to have cows treated for mastitis. Through qualitative research interviews of 16 Danish dairy farmers, four levels of the decision-making process used by farmers to decide whether or not to treat a cow with antibiotics were identified. Those levels were: 1) symptom level (seriousness of the mastitis case), 2) cow level (to the extent a cow fulfilled goals of the farmer and the herd), 3) herd level (the situation of the herd, e.g., in relation to milk quota), and 4) level of alternatives (whether the farmer regards such practices as blinding of teats or homoeopathy as serious alternatives to antibiotic treatment). All four levels could be recognized in all herds, but with differing weights and relative importance across herds. Directions of different possibilities within each level also varied among farmers. By identifying those four levels, a model for understanding the farmers' choices is provided. This provides background for dialogue with each farmer about choices in the context of each specific herd. It also provides insight into implications of mastitis treatments for effective treatment versus issues of antibiotic resistance when discussing choices on a more general level. Communication and understanding between farmers and their veterinarians and cattle-oriented advisors is essential. Farmers were shown to be coherent in their choices of treatment, but their decisions often seemed to differ from normal veterinary recommendations. Such differences have to be understood and implemented into effective decisions for the whole farm.
开展了一项定性研究，以描述和分析农民对奶牛乳腺炎治疗决策中自身选择的看法。通过对16位丹麦奶农进行定性研究访谈，确定了农民在决定是否用抗生素治疗奶牛时所采用的决策过程的四个层次。这些层次分别是：1）症状层次（乳腺炎病例的严重程度），2）奶牛层次（奶牛实现农民和牛群目标的程度），3）牛群层次（牛群的情况，例如与牛奶配额相关的情况），以及4）替代方案层次（农民是否将乳头封闭或顺势疗法等做法视为抗生素治疗的重要替代方案）。在所有牛群中都能识别出这四个层次，但不同牛群中各层次的权重和相对重要性有所不同。每个层次内不同可能性的方向在农民之间也存在差异。通过识别这四个层次，提供了一个理解农民选择的模型。这为与每位农民就每个特定牛群背景下的选择进行对话提供了背景。在更普遍的层面讨论选择时，它还能深入了解乳腺炎治疗对有效治疗的影响以及抗生素耐药性问题。农民与其兽医和以养牛为导向的顾问之间的沟通和理解至关重要。研究表明，农民在治疗选择上具有连贯性，但他们的决定往往似乎与常规兽医建议不同。必须理解这些差异并将其纳入整个农场的有效决策中。
