INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidémiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux F-33000, France.
BMC Public Health. 2012 Jul 27;12:558. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-558.
The health of the agricultural population has been previously explored, particularly in relation to the farming exposures and among professionally active individuals. However, few studies specifically focused on health and aging among elders retired from agriculture. Yet, this population faces the long-term effects of occupational exposures and multiple difficulties related to living and aging in rural area (limited access to shops, services, and practitioners). However, these difficulties may be counter-balanced by advantages related to healthier lifestyle, richer social support and better living environment. The general aim of the AMI cohort was to study health and aging in elderly farmers living in rural area through a multidisciplinary approach, with a main focus on dementia.
METHODS/DESIGN: The study initially included 1 002 participants, randomly selected from the Farmer Health Insurance rolls. Selection criteria were: being 65 years and older; living in rural area in Gironde (South-Western France); being retired from agriculture after at least 20 years of activity and being affiliated to the Health Insurance under own name. The study started in 2007, with two follow-up visits over 5 years. Baseline visits were conducted at home by a neuropsychologist then by a geriatrician for all cases suspected of dementia, Parkinson's disease and depression (to confirm the diagnosis), and by a nurse for others. A large panel of data were collected through standardised questionnaires: complete neuropsychological assessment, material and social living environment, psychological transition to retirement, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol and diet), medications, disability in daily living, sensory impairments and some clinical measures (blood pressure, depression symptomatology, anxiety, visual test, anthropometry...). A blood sampling was performed with biological measurements and constitution of a biological bank, including DNA. Brain MRI were also performed on 316 of the participants. Finally, the three-year data on health-related reimbursements were extracted from the Health System database (medications, medical and paramedical consultations, biological examinations and medical devices), and the registered Long-Term Diseases (30 chronic diseases 100% covered by the Insurance System).
AMI is the first French longitudinal study on health and aging set up in a population of elderly farmers living in rural area through a multidisciplinary approach.
先前已经对农业人口的健康状况进行了研究，特别是与农业接触以及职业活跃人群相关的健康状况。然而，很少有研究专门关注退休农民的健康和老龄化问题。然而，这部分人群面临着职业暴露的长期影响以及与农村生活和老龄化相关的多重困难（商店、服务和从业者的获取有限）。然而，这些困难可能会因与更健康的生活方式、更丰富的社会支持和更好的生活环境相关的优势而得到平衡。AMI 队列的总体目标是通过多学科方法研究居住在农村地区的老年农民的健康和老龄化问题，主要关注痴呆症。
方法/设计：该研究最初纳入了 1002 名参与者，他们是从农民健康保险名单中随机选择的。入选标准为：年龄 65 岁及以上；居住在法国西南部吉伦特省的农村地区；退休前从事农业工作至少 20 年，并以个人名义参加健康保险。该研究于 2007 年开始，在 5 年内进行了两次随访。基线访视由神经心理学家在家中进行，然后对所有疑似痴呆、帕金森病和抑郁症的患者（为了确诊）由老年病学家进行访视，对其他患者由护士进行访视。通过标准化问卷收集了大量数据：全面的神经心理学评估、物质和社会生活环境、退休心理转变、生活方式（吸烟、饮酒和饮食）、药物、日常生活活动障碍、感觉障碍和一些临床指标（血压、抑郁症状、焦虑、视力测试、人体测量学等）。采集了血液样本进行生物学测量和生物银行的建立，包括 DNA。对 316 名参与者进行了脑部 MRI。最后，从医疗系统数据库（药物、医疗和辅助医疗咨询、生物检查和医疗器械）中提取了与健康相关的报销三年数据，并记录了长期疾病（100%由保险系统覆盖的 30 种慢性疾病）。
AMI 是法国首个通过多学科方法在农村地区老年农民人群中开展的健康和老龄化纵向研究。
