Colorado State University, Human Development and Family Studies, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1570, USA.
Aurora Research Institute, Aurora, CO 80014, USA.
Disabil Health J. 2018 Apr;11(2):230-236. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.08.001. Epub 2017 Aug 8.
While emerging research has focused on quality of life (QOL) levels among farmers and ranchers with disabilities, much work is still needed on this largely understudied population. The AgrAbility Project, a USDA initiative, offers pragmatic solutions to increase farmers and ranchers with disabilities' QOL and ability to work and live independently (ILW).
To assess pretest-posttest changes in farmers and ranchers with disabilities' ILW and QOL levels after participating in AgrAbility, to identify demographic predictors of ILW and QOL (e.g. with whom AgrAbility works best), and to determine how much variance in QOL is accounted for by change in ILW levels.
Participants (N = 191) included farmers and ranchers from 10 states with various disabilities who participated in AgrAbility. They completed ILW and McGill QOL measures before and after AgrAbility.
Paired samples t-tests highlighted that participants' ILW and QOL levels improved (p < 0.001) with large or larger than typical effect sizes. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that change in ILW over time was qualified by age and origin of disability. Regression results revealed that change in ILW predicted 13% of the variance in QOL change.
These results suggest that participation in the AgrAbility Project was positively associated with increased ILW and QOL levels. AgrAbility participants reported increases in their QOL levels and their ability to continue their work and live in their homes. Further research is needed to compare results with a no-treatment comparison group of similar ranchers and farmers with disabilities.
尽管新兴研究关注残疾农民和牧场主的生活质量 (QOL) 水平，但对于这一研究相对较少的人群，仍有许多工作需要开展。美国农业部的 AgrAbility 项目提供切实可行的解决方案，以提高残疾农民和牧场主的生活质量和独立工作及生活能力 (ILW)。
评估残疾农民和牧场主参与 AgrAbility 前后 ILW 和 QOL 水平的变化，确定影响 ILW 和 QOL 的人口统计学预测因素（例如，AgrAbility 与谁合作效果最好），并确定 ILW 水平变化对 QOL 变化的解释程度。
参与者（N=191）包括来自 10 个州的具有各种残疾的农民和牧场主，他们在参与 AgrAbility 之前和之后完成了 ILW 和 McGill QOL 测量。
配对样本 t 检验突出表明，参与者的 ILW 和 QOL 水平有所提高（p<0.001），具有较大或大于典型的效应大小。重复测量方差分析表明，ILW 的变化随时间变化受年龄和残疾来源的影响。回归结果表明，ILW 的变化预测了 QOL 变化的 13%。
这些结果表明，参与 AgrAbility 项目与增加 ILW 和 QOL 水平呈正相关。AgrAbility 参与者报告称，他们的 QOL 水平和继续在自己家中工作和生活的能力有所提高。需要进一步研究，将结果与具有类似残疾的未经治疗的牧场主和农民对照组进行比较。
