Case-Control Study of Agricultural Injuries to Women in Central Wisconsin

A small number of women are the owner/operators of farms and women often participate in the work of production agriculture. Estimates of the percentage of females involved in agricultural injuries range from 11-45% and it is not clear if the risk factors associated with injuries to women are different from those for men. In a two year case-control study of injuries to farm residents, there were 40 injuries involving adult women. Multivariable analysis revealed that the two major risk factors for agricultural injury to females were number of hours worked and the presence of bulls on the farm. Most (55%) of the women were injured while in a barn. A cow was the primary agent of injury in 17 (42.5%) of the cases. Efforts to reduce the rate of injuries to women in agriculture should be targeted to the particular risks they experience.