2017-05-28 Listen: taking care of farmers’ health, Aussie style – Irish Farmers Journal

From left: David Meredith, senior research officer, rural economy, Teagasc; Maura Canning, farm family chair, IFA; Diana Van Doorn, researcher, National Centre for Men’s Health, Carlow IT; Susan Brumby, National Centre for Farmer Health, Australia; and John McNamara, health and safety specialist, Teagasc; at the conference on farmers’ health in Teagasc Oak Park.

2017-05-24: Australian farmer health specialist Susan Brumby – Irish Farmers Journal Podcast

Teagasc organised a conference on farmers’ health this Tuesday where researchers said farmers have poorer health than their active lifestyle would suggest, especially in terms of heart disease. There, Thomas Hubert met Professor Susan Brumby of Australia’s National Centre for Farmer Health. She said many problems were similar in our two countries.

Click here to listen to the podcast: 2017-05-24: Australian farmer health specialist Susan Brumby – Irish Farmers Journal Podcast

2017-05-13: Sewing up the city-country divide to support farmer health – Invisible Farmer ABC Open

Melbourne fashion week was a defining moment for Leila Sweeny McDougall.

As a young fashion design graduate with a farming background, Leila held a show at Melbourne fashion week, to raise money for farmer health.

‘We lost heaps of money, because the people that came wouldn’t pay the entry fee. They didn’t see how farmers had anything to do with it.’

Frustrated, Leila set about changing attitudes towards agriculture and supporting farmer health.

“More needs to be done about people understanding that if farmers didn’t do what they do, city people wouldn’t live the life they do,” she says.

Growing up on a merino farm at Walcha in NSW, Leila has experienced farmings ups and downs, impacts of drought and mental illness, and the lack of support.

Now farming at Tatyoon in Victoria, Leila and her husband Sean founded ‘Live Rural’, a charity promoting agriculture and supporting farmer health.

Their annual event, ‘Mellow in the Yellow’ raises money to support the National Centre for Farmer Health.

Read more: 2017-05-13: Sewing up the city-country divide to support farmer health – Invisible Farmer ABC Open

2017-05-12: Speaking the unspoken – RM Williams Outback Magazine

A new research project is tackling one of the most taboo subjects in the bush.

Story by Amanda Burdon  Photo Neil Newitt

Rural suicide rates are double that of metropolitan areas and men in remote Australia are up to three times more likely to suicide than their urban counterparts. These figures meant very little to Jen Irrgang until April 3, 2013 – the day her larrikin husband of 25 years, Mark, became one of the statistics.

“Mark was an ordinary bloke. There were no signs, nothing,” says Jen, of Sedan, north-west of Adelaide. “Even his best friend didn’t know he had been suffering from depression. I am still shocked, years later. You never come to terms with it. You just come to accept it.

“Suicide is a very difficult subject for people to broach. At first, people asked me did I want others to know how Mark died. Right from the outset, we never covered it up. There’s no hiding it and I am not ashamed of Mark. It’s a tragedy, that’s all.”

Still, there’s no escaping the unanswered questions that Jen and her two teenage daughters were left with – especially why a popular, sociable man who could “talk the leg off a table” could not tell anyone he was hurting. “That’s the hardest thing,” she says. “I just wish he’d spoken up and asked for help.”

Jen is bravely sharing her family’s heartache courtesy of a National Centre for Farmer Health research project that aims to reduce the stigma associated with suicide, curb suicide rates in rural Australia, and provide more effective support to those affected. The Ripple Effect gives those who have been touched by suicide an opportunity to share their experiences and insights, to help others and themselves. It is hoped that their short videos and deeply moving postcards – recalling suicide attempts and the distressing fallout of suicide but also delivering messages of hope and support – enable participants to see that they are not alone.

Click here to read more: 2017-05-12: Speaking the unspoken – RM Williams Outback Magazine

2017-05-06: Rural Bank gives farmers health check ups at Agfest – The Examiner

Farmers visiting Agfest were reminded about the importance of putting themselves before livestock, machinery and crops.

Rural Bank, in partnership with the registered nurses from National Centre for Farmer Health, checked farmer’s body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose levels and more.

Read more: 2017-05-06: Rural Bank gives farmers health check ups at Agfest – The Examiner

Parliament of Australia Media Release – Hearing Health Focus in Victoria & South Australia

Click here to view as a PDF with links.

Farmer Health eNews May 2017

Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health

• HMF702 Scholarships open today!
• Run 4 Farmer Health 2017
• Digital Storytelling Workshop
• Wellness Wednesday Topics

View the May 2017 e-News

2017-4-19: New test to reveal pesticide exposure – Deakin Research News

Concern over how the regular use of pesticides may affect the health of farmers is not new, but a lack of data specific to the Australian context has hampered efforts to develop evidence-based guidelines.

Now, the results of a study by the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH), a partnership between Deakin University’s School of Medicine and Western District Health Service, will help develop a new test to monitor farmers’ exposure to pesticides and provide valuable longitudinal data about Australian farmers and their chemical use.

The study, funded by the Shepherd Foundation Victoria, followed 64 farmers from different regions and farming types over 12 months, testing them each month for levels of cholinesterase enzymes.

Read full article: 2017-4-19: New test to reveal pesticide exposure – Deakin Research News

Farmer Health eNews April 2017

Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health

• NCFH attending upcoming conferences
• The Pain Revolution Tour comes to Warrnambool on 5th April
• How often do you get a FREE service for your farm equipment?
• Wellness Wednesday Topics

View the April 2017 e-News

2017-03-24: Study finds possible link between pesticide exposure and farmer health- ABC Rural

By Jess Davis and Cath McAloon

A study has found farmers’ nervous systems might be impacted by exposure to the some of the most widely used pesticides.

In the first study of its kind, the Victorian-based National Centre for Farmer Health tested a group of farmers once a month over 12 months for levels of cholinesterase enzymes, which are needed for the proper functioning of the nervous system.

Toxicologist John Edwards said preliminary research results found those enzymes were lower in farmers with high exposure to organophosphate pesticides.

“When we look at cholinesterase, what we see is the cholinesterase inhibition is also higher in the farmers with higher chemical use,” Professor Edwards said.

He said researchers also found that farmers in predominantly cropping regions had higher levels of exposure than other regions.

“We’ve been able to show that in terms of chemical exposure it does vary throughout the year,” he said.

“We have some times of relatively intense exposures and other times of less exposure.

“What we identified was the areas that we expected would have the higher levels of chemical exposures have been shown qualitatively to have the highest level of exposure.”

Read more: 2017-03-24: Study finds possible link between pesticide exposure and farmer health- ABC Rural

Skin cancer – risks and early signs

Farming men and women and agricultural workers spend much of their time working outdoors.  Not wearing sun protection while outside can increase the risk of skin cancer. Skin cancer can be a life-threatening condition and protecting skin from Ultraviolet (UV) radiation should be taken very seriously.

People who work outdoors get up to10 times more sun exposure than indoor workers. Australia has some of the highest levels of UV radiation and one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, accounting for over 80% of all new cases of cancer diagnosed in Australia each year (Cancer Council Australia, 2020).

Skin Cancer – risk factors

Common risk factors for skin cancer include fair skin, many moles and freckles, a personal or family history of skin cancer, excessive UV exposure and solarium use.

Unlike the light or heat from the sun, which we can see and feel, your senses cannot detect UV radiation, so you won’t notice skin damage until it has been done. Some UV radiation from the sun is important for bone and muscle health, but too much UV can cause sunburn, premature ageing of the skin, and damage to the eye. UV levels are affected by the time of day, time of year and cloud coverage. To help prevent skin cancer and high UV exposure try to do outside work when UV levels are at their lowest.

To find out more information on skin cancer risk factors visit Better Health Channel

Skin Cancer – prevention

Fortunately, most skin cancers are preventable. Being SunSmart and protecting your skin using these five sun protection steps is an effective way to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer:

Slip on a long sleeve shirt and long pants
Slop on SPF 50+ sunscreen to all skin not protected by clothing
Slap on a broad brim hat
Seek shade between 11am – 3pm
Slide on 100% UV protective sunglasses

Where possible try to avoid outdoor tasks in the middle of the day, or when UV levels are highest. Download the SunSmart weather app and check out the UV forecasts from the weather bureau on the Farmer Health weather pages.

Check your skin (including friends and family skin) regularly for any changes in moles or sunspots. Take photographs if this helps. Look for any changes in shape, colour and size. If you notice changes or are concerned take action and see your GP for a skin check or request a review with a skin specialist.

To find out more about this topic go to Better Health Channel

Fast facts:

Skin cancer – risks and early signs

• Farmers spend a lot of time outdoors; this can increase the risk of skin cancer.UV radiation is dangerous. It is unlike sunlight as it can damage skin without us realising.
• Check your skin regularly for any changes, especially moles or freckles that change.
• Have an annual skin review with your GP or skin specialist.
• See your GP if you notice any skin changes between skin reviews,
• Be SunSmart: protect your skin from UV radiation and remember to slip, slop, slap, seek shade and slide on sunglasses during sun protection times.

Sunburn

Sunburn occurs when your skin is burned by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Sunburn, whether mild or severe, can cause permanent skin damage and increase the risk of wrinkles, freckles, pigmentation, skin lesions, and skin cancer including malignant melanoma.

Whilst we need some exposure to sunlight for Vitamin D production, we don’t need sunburn! In an Australian summer, sunburn can occur within 15 minutes. Skin burnt by UV radiation turns red within hours and the sunburn will continue to develop for the next one to three days. Most people who have been sunburnt will also peel. This is the body’s way of healing and shedding dead and damaged skin cells to make way for new skin underneath.

Farming men, women and agricultural workers are at an increased risk of sunburn as they spend more time working outdoors during peak UV times.

UV radiation levels vary depending on location, time of year, time of day and cloud coverage. The UV index scale tool is a great way for farmers and agricultural workers to check peak UV times during the day and the times sun protection is required. The UV index scale can be accessed by downloading the Sun Smart app on a smartphone or the Bureau of Meteorology website.

Recommendations to prevent sunburn include a combination of five sun protection measures:

1. Slip on long clothing,
2. Slop on SPF50+ sunscreen,
3. Slap on a broad-brim hat,
4. Seek shade
5. Slide on sunglasses.

Ensure sunscreen SPF 50+ is available in the workshop, work vehicles and machinery. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before sun exposure to allow time for the sunscreen to absorb and reduce the likelihood of dust sticking to your skin.

Skin damage from sunburn can be mild or severe. To relieve mild discomfort drink plenty of water, gently apply a cool compress and take over-the-counter pain relief.

Seek medical advice if you experience nausea, fever or there is extensive blistering and pain.

Find out more at Better Health Channel

Fast facts:

• Even minor sunburn can lead to skin damage and skin cancer.
• Sunburn can occur in less than 15 minutes.
• Protect your skin – limit exposure, especially in the middle of the day. –
• Use SPF 50+ broad-spectrum sunscreen that filters both UVA and UVB radiation.
• Wear long sleeved shirt and long trousers and a broad brim hat.
• Protect your eyes with AZ/NZS compliant sunglasses with fitted side arms.
• Where possible seek shade and plan indoor activities for the middle of the day.