Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (한국환경보건학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Health (한국환경보건학회)
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Risk-Accepting Personality and Associated Factors among Korean Farmers

농업인의 농작업 위험 수용도 및 관련 요인

  • Youn, Ji Young (Department of Epidemiology and Health Informatics, Graduate School of Public Health, Korea University) ;
  • Choi, Yeongchull (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Keimyung University) ;
  • Lee, Won Jin (Department of Epidemiology and Health Informatics, Graduate School of Public Health, Korea University) ;
  • Kim, Jaeyoung (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Keimyung University)
  • 윤지영 (고려대학교 보건대학원 역학 및 보건정보학과) ;
  • 최영철 (계명대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실) ;
  • 이원진 (고려대학교 보건대학원 역학 및 보건정보학과) ;
  • 김재영 (계명대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실)
  • Received : 2016.07.20
  • Accepted : 2016.10.18
  • Published : 2016.10.31
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Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine risk-accepting personality traits and associated factors among farmers. Methods: Data were collected from farmers aged over 40 living in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang-do Province, Korea. Study participants were enrolled in the Korean Rural Cohort study from 2011 to 2014. Surveys for the risk perception of farming were made through face-to-face interviews. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were conducted adjusting for gender, age, marital status, and education. Results: Several factors such as gender, age, marital status, age first worked as a farmer, duration of farming, and history of pesticide poisoning were associated with risk-accepting personality traits among farmers. Farmers with risk-accepting personalities tend to be older, less educated, and have self-employed health insurance. Farmers who started farming after the age of 50 are likely to be risk averse compared to farmers who started farming before the age of 20 (OR=0.41, 95% CI; 0.21, 0.82). Frequent spraying of pesticides was marginally associated with higher risk acceptance among female farmers (OR=1.61, 95% CI: 0.99, 2.64). Male farmers who had experienced pesticide poisoning in their lifetime showed higher odds of risk-accepting personality traits (OR=2.20, 95% CI: 1.03, 4.72) Conclusion: Risk-acceptors were more likely to spray pesticides frequently and to experience more pesticide poisoning compared to risk-averse individuals. This result suggests that farming hazards are to some degree driven by risk-accepting personality traits. Further investigation of how risk-accepting behaviors influence farming practices and pesticide poisoning is needed.

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