Trends and Characteristics of Occupational Suicide and Homicide in Farmers and Agriculture Workers, 1992-2010

Overview

Journal J Rural Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2017 May 3

PMID 28464402

Citations 14

Authors

Wendy Ringgenberg

Corinne Peek-Asa

Kelley Donham

Marizen Ramirez

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: We examined work-related homicides and suicides among farm operators/workers in the United States from 1992 to 2010.

Methods: Work-related homicide and suicide cases from 1992 to 2010 were obtained from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. To calculate rates, denominator data on the US working population were also obtained from 2003 to 2010 Current Population Survey. Logistic regression was used to identify factors that were differentially associated with homicide and suicide.

Results: Over these 19 years, 171 farm operators/workers died from homicide and 230 died from suicide. When compared to rates of all workers, suicide rates were higher while homicide rates were lower among farm operators/workers. Males (OR = 6.1), whites (OR = 4.7), and 35- to 54-year-old (OR = 2.3) farm operators/workers had increased odds of suicide over homicide compared with their respective counterparts (ie, females, nonwhites, <35-year-olds). Those working in smaller farm operations with <11 employees had 1.7 times the odds of suicide over homicide.

Conclusions: Suicide and homicide are both present in the agricultural industry, with suicide being more common than homicide. Translation of suicide prevention programs should be explored for the agricultural industry.

Citing Articles

The impact of injury control research centers: Advancing the field of injury and violence prevention.

Baker W, Skillman M, Rocha L, Bayne A, Whitehouse S, Murphy E J Safety Res. 2024; 88:56-67.

PMID: 38485385 PMC: 10957095. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2023.10.008.

What Do Farmers Need for Suicide Prevention: Considerations for a Hard-to-Reach Population.

Scheyett A, Marburger I, Scarrow A, Hollifield S, Dunn J Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2024; 20:341-352.

PMID: 38410688 PMC: 10896109. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S452561.

Overage labor, intergenerational financial support, and depression among older rural residents: evidence from China.

Chen Y, Wang K, Zhao J, Zhang Z, Wang J, He L Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1219703.

PMID: 37680270 PMC: 10482248. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1219703.

Farmer Suicides Among States Reporting Violent Deaths, 2003 - 2017.

Norrod P, Sanderson W, Abner E, Seals J, Browning S Rural Ment Health. 2023; 47(3):139-151.

PMID: 37449301 PMC: 10336572. DOI: 10.1037/rmh0000232.

Achieving health equity in US suicides: a narrative review and commentary.

Perry S, Rainey J, Allison S, Bastiampillai T, Wong M, Licinio J BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):1360.

PMID: 35840968 PMC: 9284959. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13596-w.

References

Gallagher R, Threlfall W, Spinelli J, Band P . Occupational mortality patterns among British Columbia farm workers. J Occup Med. 1984; 26(12):906-8. DOI: 10.1097/00043764-198412000-00009. View

Nisbett R . Violence and U.S. regional culture. Am Psychol. 1993; 48(4):441-9. DOI: 10.1037//0003-066x.48.4.441. View

Kennedy A, Maple M, McKay K, Brumby S . Suicide and accidental death in Australia's rural farming communities: a review of the literature. Rural Remote Health. 2014; 14(1):2517. View

Skegg K, Firth H, Gray A, Cox B . Suicide by occupation: does access to means increase the risk?. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010; 44(5):429-34. DOI: 10.3109/00048670903487191. View

Browning S, Westneat S, McKnight R . Suicides among farmers in three southeastern states, 1990-1998. J Agric Saf Health. 2008; 14(4):461-72. DOI: 10.13031/2013.25282. View

Peek-Asa C, Wallis A, Harland K, Beyer K, Dickey P, Saftlas A . Rural disparity in domestic violence prevalence and access to resources. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2011; 20(11):1743-9. PMC: 3216064. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2011.2891. View

Hanigan I, Butler C, Kokic P, Hutchinson M . Suicide and drought in New South Wales, Australia, 1970-2007. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; 109(35):13950-5. PMC: 3435226. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1112965109. View

Alston M . Rural male suicide in Australia. Soc Sci Med. 2010; 74(4):515-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.04.036. View

Stallones L . Suicide mortality among Kentucky farmers, 1979-1985. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1990; 20(2):156-63. View

10.

Mills P, Beaumont J, Nasseri K . Proportionate mortality among current and former members of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO, in California 1973-2000. J Agromedicine. 2006; 11(1):39-48. DOI: 10.1300/J096v11n01_05. View

11.

Kochanek K, Xu J, Murphy S, Minino A, Kung H . Deaths: final data for 2009. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2014; 60(3):1-116. View

12.

Booth N, Briscoe M, Powell R . Suicide in the farming community: methods used and contact with health services. Occup Environ Med. 2000; 57(9):642-4. PMC: 1740021. DOI: 10.1136/oem.57.9.642. View

13.

Beseler C, Stallones L, Hoppin J, Alavanja M, Blair A, Keefe T . Depression and pesticide exposures in female spouses of licensed pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study cohort. J Occup Environ Med. 2006; 48(10):1005-13. PMC: 1626656. DOI: 10.1097/01.jom.0000235938.70212.dd. View