Department of Social Science, Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta, Camrose, AB, T4V 1R3, Canada.
BMC Psychol. 2024 Aug 12;12(1):435. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01929-w.
Farming is a stressful occupation, and a growing body of research shows that farm stressors are associated with poor mental health. To date, there are few methodologically sound surveys that assess farm stressors, and none have been validated for the Canadian context. Our study aimed to: (a) investigate the types of stressors experienced by farmers, (b) develop a farm stress assessment tool and test its factor structure and internal consistency, and (c) assess its criterion-related validity to self-reported levels of anxiety, depression, burnout, and resilience among farmers.
We developed a 20-item survey based on a review of the literature, examining existing farm stress surveys, and consulting 10 farmers and agricultural industry experts. Then, a convenience sample of farmers living in Alberta, Canada (Sample 1, N = 354) completed a questionnaire containing the 20-item farm stress survey and four validated measures that assessed depression, anxiety, burnout, and resilience. Sample 1 was used to assess the factor structure using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), internal consistency, and criterion-validity of the survey. Next, a convenience sample of farmers living outside of Alberta (Sample 2, N = 138) was used to evaluate the factor structure of the survey using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
The results of the EFA revealed five underlying dimensions of farm stressors: Unexpected work disruptions, Agricultural hazards, Farm and financial planning, Isolation, and Regulations and public pressure. The subscales accounted for 61.6% of the variance, and the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) ranged from 0.66 to.75. Subscale correlations were below 0.44, indicating evidence of discriminant validity. Correlations between the five subscales and the four mental health outcome variables supported the criterion-related validity of the survey. The results of the CFA indicated that the data fit the model, and fit was further improved by correlating one pair of error terms.
Preliminary analysis of our Farmer Stress Assessment Tool (FSAT) suggests it is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring a range of stressors farmers face. Implications for policy and community-based mental health interventions that help farmers manage the enduring stressors of agriculture is discussed.
农业是一项充满压力的职业，越来越多的研究表明，农业压力源与心理健康状况不佳有关。迄今为止，很少有方法严谨的调查评估农场压力源，而且没有一个针对加拿大的情况进行验证。我们的研究旨在：(a)调查农民所经历的压力源类型，(b)开发一种农场压力评估工具，并测试其因子结构和内部一致性，以及 (c)评估其与自我报告的农民焦虑、抑郁、倦怠和适应力水平的效标关联效度。
我们基于文献回顾、现有农场压力调查和咨询 10 名农民和农业行业专家，开发了一个包含 20 个项目的调查。然后，一个居住在加拿大艾伯塔省的农民便利样本（样本 1，N=354）完成了一份包含 20 项农场压力调查和四项评估抑郁、焦虑、倦怠和适应力的验证性测量的问卷。样本 1 用于使用探索性因子分析 (EFA) 评估调查的因子结构、内部一致性和效标关联效度。接下来，一个居住在艾伯塔省以外的农民便利样本（样本 2，N=138）用于使用验证性因子分析 (CFA) 评估调查的因子结构。
EFA 的结果揭示了五个农场压力源的潜在维度：意外工作中断、农业危害、农场和财务规划、孤立和法规与公众压力。子量表解释了 61.6%的方差，内部一致性（克朗巴赫的 alpha）范围为 0.66 至 0.75。子量表之间的相关性低于 0.44，表明存在判别有效性的证据。五个子量表与四项心理健康结果变量之间的相关性支持了调查的效标关联效度。CFA 的结果表明数据拟合模型，通过相关一对误差项进一步提高了拟合度。
我们的农民压力评估工具 (FSAT) 的初步分析表明，它是一种可靠且有效的工具，可用于衡量农民面临的一系列压力源。讨论了该工具对政策和基于社区的心理健康干预的意义，这些干预措施可以帮助农民应对农业带来的持久压力源。
