Nursing home staff perception of a falls management intervention.

Background: Many nursing home fall injuries are believed to be preventable. Little is known about the fall prevention activities nursing homes are using.

Methods: We conducted a census of all nursing homes in 6 Wisconsin counties by mailing a needs assessment to administrators and directors of nursing.

Barriers to the adoption of ergonomic innovations to control musculoskeletal disorders and improve performance.

Despite a growing number of published articles describing studies of ergonomic interventions, little is known about the barriers potential adopters face when deciding whether or not to adopt such innovations. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to examine the barriers identified by potential adopters of ergonomic innovations and compare barriers identified by individuals not interested in adopting to those identified by individuals planning to adopt. Eight hundred forty-eight fresh market vegetable farmers were mailed surveys measuring the adoption of and barriers to the adoption of several ergonomic innovations as part of a multi-year intervention study.

A 4-year intervention to increase adoption of safer dairy farming work practices.

Background: Traumatic and musculoskeletal injury rates have been high in dairy farming compared to other industries. Previous work has shown that social marketing efforts can persuade farm managers to adopt practices that reduce injury hazards compared to traditional practices if the new practices maintain profits.

Methods: The intervention disseminated information to 4,300 Northeast Wisconsin dairy farm managers about three safer and more profitable production practices (barn lights, silage bags, and calf feed mixing sites) using information channels that these managers were known to rely on.

The use and value of information systems as evaluated by dairy and specialty crop farm managers.

Little recent research is available about where specific types of farm managers search for information about better production practices. The objective of this study was to investigate what information sources managers used and how they rated the usefulness of each source. The authors administered mail questionnaires to probability samples from sampling frames they developed for four groups: dairy and fresh market vegetable producers from Wisconsin and berry and nursery producers from a multistate region.

Intervention to increase adoption of safer dairy farming production practices.

Objectives: We conducted an intervention to increase adoption of three dairy farming practices shown to reduce certain traumatic and musculoskeletal injury hazards.

Methods: The intervention disseminated information to 4,300 Wisconsin dairy farm managers about three safer, more profitable production practices (barn lights, bag silos, and calf feed mixing sites) using information channels upon which these managers were known to rely. We evaluated rolling, independent, community-based samples at baseline and after each of two intervention years.

Evaluation of a 3year intervention to increase adoption of safer nursery crop production practices.

Background: We conducted a 3year intervention to increase awareness and adoption of eight more profitable nursery crop production practices that reduced certain traumatic and musculoskeletal injury hazards.

Methods: We disseminated information to nursery managers across seven states using information channels they were known to rely on (e.g.

Work exposures, injuries, and musculoskeletal discomfort among children and adolescents in dairy farming.

Little research is available about the specifics of child or adolescent work on dairy farm operations. The objective of this study was to investigate work performed by children and adolescents on these operations. The authors administered mail questionnaires to a community-based, age- and operation size-stratified sample of individuals aged 6 to 18 (n = 240) who worked on dairy operations in Wisconsin.

Evaluation of a four year intervention to reduce musculoskeletal hazards among berry growers.

Problem: Fresh market berry production workers are exposed to physical risk factors for musculoskeletal injury.

Method: We disseminated information through trade publications and other sources to berry managers in seven U.S.

Evaluation of an intervention to reduce musculoskeletal hazards among fresh market vegetable growers.

Objectives: We conducted an intervention to convince small, fresh market vegetable operations to adopt mesh bags and standard containers, two production practices that aid in crop handling and that are known to improve labor efficiency and reduce exposures to musculoskeletal injury hazards.

Methods: The intervention disseminated information about the practices to growers through trade publications, public events, university Extension, and growers already using the practices. A mail questionnaire was administered to vegetable growers (n=243 and 207) before and after the intervention.