Farm health and safety in rural New South Wales. Insights through qualitative research.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the appropriate content and format of a farm health and safety training program for rural health professionals, and to explore issues in rural health care relevant to the health and safety education of the farming community.

DESIGN

Qualitative research by focus group and individual interviews with health care professionals and members of the farming community.

SETTING

Four rural New South Wales towns, with a range of agricultural activities.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and sixteen health care professionals and 58 people who lived or worked on farms were interviewed.

RESULTS

Suggestions were made for field days and seminars to provide information on agricultural hazards. Doctors were the most common first contact for health care but were rarely involved in preventive health care. Members of the farming community largely believed that they got the health care that they requested from their doctors. Community health teams provided preventive health care but rarely received referrals from doctors. Doctors often saw the farming community according to a stereotype of "the man on the land" that discouraged preventive health care interventions.

CONCLUSION

Current patterns of health care service in rural communities inhibit the opportunities for effective farm health and safety education. A training program in farm health and safety could meet the needs of rural health professionals and the community if it encouraged greater use of a wider range of health care professionals as providers of preventive health care.