Farm Children Research Articles

Women's empowerment, household dietary diversity, and child anthropometry among vulnerable populations in Odisha, India.

Women's empowerment has been promoted by researchers and development practitioners as one of the most promising strategies to address widespread hunger and malnutrition. However, the relationship between women's empowerment and dietary diversity and child nutrition has rarely been studied among vulnerable populations or individuals at greater risk of poor physical and social health status. Moreover, the effects of different domains of women's empowerment on nutritional outcomes, including dietary diversity and child anthropometry, have rarely been examined, especially with panel data. Using two rounds of panel data from 1900 households and fixed effects regression models, we analyze the effect of women's empowerment on household dietary diversity score (HDDS) and child anthropometry among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups in Odisha, India. We also estimate the effects of various decision-making domains of women's empowerment on HDDS and child anthropometry to understand which empowerment domains matter for nutrition. Results show that women's empowerment is positively associated with HDDS (coef. 0.41 food groups; p < 0.1) and reduces the prevalence of underweight (coef. 39%; p < 0.05) and wasting (coef. 56%; p < 0.1) in children but has no effect on the prevalence of child stunting. Women's empowerment in agricultural input use; output sales; income; food purchases; and credit, group membership, and employment contribute to improved dietary diversity and child nutrition. We conclude that women's empowerment contributes to improved dietary diversity and child nutrition and is a promising strategy to improve farm household diets and child nutrition among vulnerable populations. Strengthening women's empowerment through the promotion of women's access to land and other agricultural inputs, market participation, access to information, capital, and credit is important.

Review of Capability of Methods for the Verification of Country of Origin for Food and Feed

Country of origin is defined as the country where food or feed is entirely grown, produced, or manufactured, or, if produced in more than one country, where it last underwent a substantial change. In the UK, EU-assimilated legislation states that indication of the country of origin is a mandatory labelling requirement for food and feed, including products such as meat, vegetables, eggs, honey and wine. The country of origin claim plays an important role for consumers who tend to relate certain country of origin labelling to superior quality or brand identity. Patriotism (or ethnocentrism) can also play a role in consumer food choice. In Europe, there are 3500 products with a specific geographical origin and their production methods are officially protected (Protected Designation of Origin = PDO; Protected Geographical Indication = PGI; Geographical Indication (for spirit drinks) = GI). These goods often carry a premium price. In addition to customer preference and sale price, country of origin claims are important to businesses when they seek to (i) monitor food miles (carbon footprint), (ii) ensure sustainable sourcing of, for example soy and palm oil (including new Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products), (iii) avoid trading of goods which are subject to sanctions, (iv) reassure consumers over concerns of farming and animal welfare standards, (v) avoid foods which are linked to exploitation of farm workers, enforced, or child labour. ‘Verification’ of geographical origin involves testing against a database to confirm that the data for a sample are consistent with those for that geographical location as claimed on a product label. Verification therefore does not involve testing a sample from an unknown location to unequivocally identify its provenance, as such methods are not available or are extremely limited in scope.

Organophosphate insecticide exposure and respiratory symptoms among school children in Northern Thailand: Interaction by biomass burning, dampness and season

The aim was to study associations between dialkylphosphates (DAPs), organophosphate (OP) metabolites in urine, biomarkers of OP insecticide exposure, and respiratory symptoms among children in upper northern Thailand. We recruited junior high school children in randomly selected schools in four cities (N = 337), with repeated data collection in wet and dry seasons. Urine was collected and analyzed for six OP metabolites, with creatinine adjustment. Total DAP was expressed as sum of DAPs. Data on respiratory symptoms was collected by a standardized questionnaire. Associations were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. Totally 11.3 % lived in farm families. Total DAPs concentration was higher in dry season (p = 0.002) but did not differ between farm and non-farm children. Total DAPs in wet season was associated with current wheeze (p = 0.019), current asthma attacks (p = 0.012) and attacks of breathlessness in last 12 months (p = 0.021). Total DAPs in dry season was associated with current wheeze (p = 0.042), and associations between DAPs and respiratory symptoms were stronger for dimethylphosphate metabolites (DMPs) than for diethylphosphate metabolites (DEPs). DMPs are produced by certain OP pesticides. Biomass burning inside or outside the home, and dampness or mold at home, enhanced the association between total DAPs and attacks of breathlessness.In conclusion, OP pesticide exposure, measured as urinary DAPs, was higher in dry season and similar in farm and non-farm children. OPs exposure, especially to DMP related pesticides, can increase asthmatic symptoms, especially in wet season. Combined exposure to OP and smoke from biomass burning, or dampness and mold, can further increase the prevalence of attacks of breathlessness. There is a need to reduce OP insecticide and biomass smoke exposure among Thai children. Since different pesticides can be used in different seasons, studies on respiratory health effects of OPs pesticide exposure should be done in different seasons.

Characterization of enteroviruses circulating among farm animals and children in Central African Republic

ABSTRACT To characterize enteroviruses (EVs) circulating in farm animals in Central African Republic (CAR), we screened 192 stools of animals under 12 months belonging to family farms located in or near Bangui. To assess whether EV exchanges exist between these animals and humans, we also screened 195 stools of children who lived in contact with farm animals, as well as control stools of 358 children with no contact with farm animals. EVs were typed based on their capsid sequences. In children, all EVs belonged to species A, B and C, with EV-Cs accounting for 60%. Some EV-Cs shared recent common ancestors with lineages of vaccine-derived poliovirus that emerged in the country in 2019–2020. In animals, we identified EV-Gs that belonged to 10 different types, including a previously unknown one that we named EV-G28, while no EV-E or EV-F were observed. The CAR EV-Gs were genetically closely related to specimens sampled in other continents and some of them harboured the torovirus-derived insertion already reported in some EV-Gs. The worldwide circulation of EV-Gs is likely due the massive international trade of live animals. Besides, two human EV-Cs (coxsackievirus A17 and coxsackievirus A24) were detected in pigs, suggesting that these viruses could cross the species barrier. Our work provides original data on the epidemiology and ecology of EVs circulating among herd animals in Africa.

(Joint) Bank Savings, Female Empowerment, and Child Labor in Rural Ethiopia

Abstract This study examines whether the random allocation of single and joint savings accounts to cash crop farmers in rural Ethiopia is associated with increased savings and changes in decision-making authority and control over resources that could ultimately affect child labor and schooling resource allocations. Consistent with posited channels of intrahousehold bargaining models, women from households assigned to the joint saving treatment group show significant gains in autonomy and control of savings resources, broader financial empowerment, and increased labor participation. Positive effects on school participation and attendance are reported for girls, although point estimates are measured imprecisely. In a setting where schooling and child labor are not mutually exclusive, children work more when joint deposit accounts are available. In the absence of impacts on household income, this increase in child labor is explained by complementarities between adult farm labor and child labor in the household production function, which is reinforced by lumpy investments in labor-intensive agricultural inputs that likely increased the opportunity costs of children's time.

INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF AGRI-TECH STARTUP IN SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE FINANCE FOR FARMERS IN INDONESIA

Small-scale farmers are often financially excluded due to limited access to formal financial services. For decades, the Indonesian government has launched credit programs for farmers' financial inclusivity. However, it has yet to improve farmers' access to financial services significantly. The Indonesian government has encouraged financial technology providers to enhance credit financing for farmers. Besides fintech startups, agri-tech startup companies have helped provide digital financial services to the agricultural sector. This study aimed to analyze different types of agricultural startup businesses in supporting inclusive finance for farmers. This study uses a qualitative approach by conducting an online semi-structured interview as a data collection technique for four agri-tech startups and two experts. The data was analyzed by template analysis. The result showed that the presence of agri-tech startups could enhance farmers' opportunity to access new financial sources –either through crowdfunding or internal company financial resources - which is better than the existing financing schemes. However, several challenges arose regarding the existing culture that caused farmers to hesitate to join the agri-tech startups' program. Other challenges related to intermediaries' power in agricultural business that had strong ties with farmers' lives are the lack of infrastructure such as road and internet access and farmers' skill in using digital technology. Agri-tech startups have reduced those challenges by sending agriculture experts to the farmland, building intense communication with farmers, cooperating with intermediaries, and providing training for young farmers and farmer's children to optimize the use of smartphones in supplying agriculture knowledge and business.

Screening asthmatics for atopic status using the ALergy EXplorer (ALEX2) macroarray

Background Screening asthma patients for atopy facilitates management. Since 2010, the core biomarker for screening asthma subjects for atopic status has been the qualitative Phadiatop. multi-aeroallergen screen. A more quantitative macroarray, the Allergy Explorer (ALEX2), shows promise as an alternative. Objective The study’s goal was to examine the pros and cons of the use of ALEX2 in the screening of asthma patients for atopic status. Methods We evaluated the atopic (IgE-sensitization) status in asthmatic Amish and Hutterite farm children using the ImmunoCAP and ALEX2 assays in Phadiatop equivocal and positive subjects. Results All 42 asthmatic children were analyzed by Phadiatop and total serum IgE. Of these, 22 had a negative Phadiatop (<0.1 kUa/L) and total IgE <100 kU/L which defined them as non-atopic and they were excluded from ALEX2 testing. Of six children with equivocal Phadiatops (0.1–0.2 kUa/L-Group 1) and three children with a negative Phadiatop but total IgE >100 kUa/L (group 3), 44% (n = 4) had detectable IgE antibody by ALEX2 to mite, tree pollen, and other allergens not detected by Phadiatop, but confirmed by allergen-specific ImmunoCAP testing. In 11 Phadiatop positive subjects (>0.2 kUa/L–group 2), all but one were positive by ALEX2. IgE antibody specific for mold and rabbit aeroallergens matched their agricultural and pet exposure history. Three children were positive for IgE antibody to allergens in the profilin, nsLTP, or PR-10 cross-reactive protein families. Conclusion Judicious use of ALEX2’s enhanced specificity data not provided by the Phadiatop can aid in the interpretation of sensitization patterns and planning management of atopic asthmatics, but sensitization relevance must be confirmed by the patient’s clinical history.

Farm animal exposure, respiratory illnesses, and nasal cell gene expression

BackgroundFarm exposures in early life reduce the risks for childhood allergic diseases and asthma. There is less information about how farm exposures relate to respiratory illnesses and mucosal immune development. ObjectiveWe hypothesized that children raised in farm environments have a lower incidence of respiratory illnesses over the first two years of life than non-farm children. We also analyzed whether farm exposures or respiratory illnesses were related to patterns of nasal cell gene expression. MethodsThe Wisconsin Infant Study Cohort included farm (n=156) and non-farm (n=155) families with children followed to age 2 years. Parents reported prenatal farm and other environmental exposures. Illness frequency and severity were assessed using illness diaries and periodic surveys. Nasopharyngeal cell gene expression in a subset of 64 children at age two years was compared to farm exposure and respiratory illness history. ResultsFarm vs. non-farm children had nominally lower rates of respiratory illnesses (rate ratio 0.82 [0.69,0.97]) with a stepwise reduction in illness rates in children exposed to 0, 1, or ≥2 animal species, but these trends were non-significant in a multivariable model. Farm exposures and preceding respiratory illnesses were positively related to nasal cell gene signatures for mononuclear cells and innate and antimicrobial responses. ConclusionsMaternal and infant exposure to farms and farm animals was associated with nonsignificant trends for reduced respiratory illnesses. Nasal cell gene expression in a subset of children suggests that farm exposures and respiratory illnesses in early life are associated with distinct patterns of mucosal immune expression.

How Much Moral Psychology Does Anyone Need? Tolstoy's Examples of Character Development and Their Impact on Readers

AbstractNothing was more important to Tolstoy than character development. For him, the purpose of life is to grow morally. The purpose of literature — as all art — is to aid that growth. Abstract philosophy and pedantic scholarship are therefore redundant. Indeed, even the psychological novel is a distraction. Moral truths are self‐evident. They are always simple. They are expressed by the humble. They are known by the meek. To become good, all we need to do is peel back the layers of hypocrisy and deceit that have overwrought us. Moral truths are known all over the world, but they are forgotten or covered up. There is nothing like a folktale, a pithy aphorism, or the words of a farm laborer or child to point this out. We may be surprised by what we already know and how deceived we were. All Tolstoy's varied endeavors, his literature, pedagogic theory and philosophy, center on moral conversion and its only legitimate motivation: love. Tolstoy's affront on modern civilization, documented vehemently in his later works sought to teach this lesson. This was a view of character development that had wide ranging impact all over the world, influencing many of the most famous thinkers, educators, and activists of the twentieth century. Tolstoy's stories continue to enthrall and inspire moral transformation. In this article Daniel Moulin explains why.

Agricultural production diversity, child dietary diversity and nutritional status in poor, rural Gansu Province of China.

Research has shown mixed findings on the link between production diversity and household dietary diversity. The question is whether this link holds for children. In this study we examine the relationship between household's agricultural production diversity and child dietary diversity, and between production diversity and child nutritional status. Smallholder farm households (n = 1067) and children (n = 1067) aged 3-16 years from two then nationally designated poverty counties in Gansu Province of China were interviewed in 2019. Production diversity was assessed with the production richness score and production diversity score. Production diversity was calculated from agricultural production data covering a period of 12 months. Child dietary diversity was assessed with food variety score (FVS) and dietary diversity score (DDS). DDS was calculated based on 9 food groups using a 30-day recall method. Data were analysed using Poisson and Probit regression models. We find that both agricultural production richness score and revenue generated from selling agricultural products are positively associated with food variety score, with the relationship being stronger for the latter. Moreover, production diversity score is positively associated with children's dietary diversity score whereas negatively associated with their probability of being stunted, but not with their probabilities of being wasted or zinc deficient. Household social economics status were also positively associated with child dietary diversity.

Navigating the Ethical and Methodological Dimensions of a Farm Safety Photovoice Project

Scholars have noted persistent high rates of agricultural health and safety incidents and the need to develop more effective interventions. Participatory research provides an avenue to broaden the prevailing research paradigms and approaches by allowing those most impacted to illuminate and work to solve those aspects of their lives. One such approach is photovoice, an emancipatory visual narrative approach. Yet, despite its broad appeal, photovoice can be hard to implement. In this article, we leverage our experience using photovoice for a farm children safety project to describe and reflect on the ethical and methodological aspects broadly relevant to agricultural health and safety topics. We first contextualize the tensions of navigating between photovoice, the research ethics committees (RECs) regulatory frameworks, and competing views on visual representations in agriculture. We then discuss the sources of risks to participants and researchers, how we addressed these risks, and how these risks unfolded during the research phase of the photovoice activity. We conclude with three lessons we (re)learned: the importance of collaborating with RECs, the need to increase preparation to limit psychological risks to participants and researchers, and avenues to augment the emancipatory power of photovoice in a virtual environment.

Farm Exposures and Allergic Disease Among Children Living in a Rural Setting

ABSTRACT Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the association between farm exposures and asthma and allergic disease in children while also highlighting the experiences of non-farm rural children. Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from across the province of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2014. Surveys were completed by parents of 2275 rural dwelling children (farm and non-farm) aged 0 to 17 years within 46 rural schools. Questionnaires were distributed through schools for parents to complete. Results Asthma prevalence was 7.6%, of which 29.5% of cases were allergic. After adjustment for potential confounders, home location (farm vs non-farm) and other farm exposures were not associated with asthma and asthma phenotypes. Those who completed farm safety education were more likely to have asthma (11.7% vs. 6.7%; p = .001) compared to children without asthma. In sub-analyses among 6–12-year-old children, boys were more likely to have asthma (non-allergic) and use short-acting beta-agonists compared to girls. Doing farm work in the summer was associated with an increased risk of asthma [adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.71 (1.02–2.88); p = .041]. Doing routine chores with large animals was associated with an increased risk of asthma [aOR = 1.83 (1.07–3.15); p = .027] and allergic asthma [aOR = 2.37 (95%CI = 1.04–5.40); p = .04]. Conclusion The present study showed that the prevalence of asthma and asthma phenotypes were similar between farm and non-farm rural children. There did not appear to be differential involvement in farming activities between those with and without asthma although those with asthma had more training suggesting possible attempts to mitigate harm from farm exposures.

Analisis Minat Anak Petani Padi menjadi Petani di Desa Pasemah Air Keruh Sumatera Selatan

The sustainability of development in the agricultural sector depends on farmers as actors. There is a tendency for farmers’ children to be disinterested as farmers for a wide variety of reasons. This study aims to identify the perception of farmer children towards their interest in continuing their parents’ work as farmers and to analyze the factors that influence the chances of choosing to work as a farmer and not as a farmer. The results of this study are expected to be a reference for determining strategies that increase the interest of farmer’s children to become farmers. The data analysis method used consisted of a combination of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. This research was conducted in Muara Rungga Village, Pasemah Air Keruh District, Empat Lawang Regency, South Sumatra. This research method used the survey method. The sample frame in this study was paddy rice farmers with children aged 15-30 years. A simple random sampling method selected the total sample of 35 respondent farmers. The study results explained that the interest of farmer children to continue their parents’ work as farmers were included in the lack of interest category. The higher the age level of the farmer’s child, the greater the chances of the farmer’s child’s decision to work as a farmer, and the higher the level of education, the more significantly the events of the child choosing to work as a farmer. The findings of this study are that farm children are better educated and more skilled at using technology. The development of agriculture in the future cannot be as mediocre, and it must be completely changed according to the development of knowledge and technology so that agriculture does not seem challenging, dirty, and unattractive. Thus the farmer’s child will be interested in working as a farmer.

They Have All Gone Away: Farms, Families, and Change

They Have All Gone AwayFarms, Families, and Change Paula Nelson Curtis Harnack, We Have All Gone Away. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2011 (reprint of 1973 edition). 188 pp. $19.95 (paper). Sara DeLuca, Dancing the Cows Home: A Wisconsin Girlhood. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1996. 232 pp. $15.95 (paper). Sara DeLuca, The Crops Look Good: News from a Midwestern Family Farm. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015. 254 pp. $17.95 (paper). Farming was once central to American life. In 1790, ninety-six percent of the population lived in rural areas, most on farms; in 1860, eighty percent of Americans still lived on farms or in small towns. Farming was the route to independence, self-sufficiency, security, and prosperity. The work was hard, but it brought reassuring seasonal routines: the births and deaths of livestock; planting, growing, and harvesting crops; family births, maturity, aging, deaths. Farms provided an organic unity that conveyed lessons about nature and the human condition that were sometimes hard to learn. For some families, the farm became a sacred entity, standing apart from and above the family. Even in today's modern, super-mechanized agriculture, there remains great pride in having had multiple generations farm the same ground. There is regret, even grief, when the farm is sold and bulldozers erase decades of family history. Post-Civil War urbanization and industrialization, however, created new technologies, new opportunities, and new values that undermined agriculture's cultural primacy. Working set hours for pay appealed to farm children, as did chances for entertainment and the possibility of socializing [End Page 213] with people beyond family and the farm neighborhood. By the 1920s, slightly more Americans lived in cities than in rural areas. Farm mechanization and consolidation accelerated the trend: farmers made up forty-one percent of the workforce in 1900; 21.5 percent in 1930; four percent in 1970; and only 1.9 percent in 2000–2002.1 Although all farm families struggled with the vagaries of nature, low crop prices, and an over-abundance of work, they were not all the same, as the books reviewed here illustrate. Both authors describe farm families' lives and labors from the late nineteenth through late twentieth centuries, but some reveal significant dissent from the belief that farming offered the best life. By the end of each memoir, no one from these families farmed. The poignant title of Curtis Harnack's classic memoir about his extended family in Plymouth County, Iowa, We Have All Gone Away, sums up the history of midwestern agriculture. The careful planning and hard work of his grandfather John Harnack, who acquired 240 acres of northwest Iowa land in the 1880s, led to prosperity and more comforts than most farm families enjoyed. A skilled carpenter, he raised a landmark barn and other outbuildings, planted fruit trees and berry bushes, built a large house to replace the first home, a 6x10 cabin, and created a successful farm. By 1900 the family had running water and a complete bathroom in the house. They were prosperous, even during the Great Depression. Curtis Harnack grew up in an atypical family arrangement. His mother, Carrie Meyer, earned a college degree and taught school for ten years before marrying Henry Harnack in 1920. They shared the substantial farm home with Henry's brother, Jack, and his wife, Lizzie Meyer, Carrie's youngest sister. Curtis, born in 1927, was the youngest of four. When Henry Harnack died of pneumonia six months after Curtis's birth, Carrie decided to stay on the farm with Jack, Lizzie, and their three children so that her children would have a father figure in Uncle Jack. Nonetheless, she made sure that her children knew that they would leave the farm for brighter futures elsewhere. Uncle Jack had never wanted to farm, but fell into it when his father retired. Lizzie, much to her disappointment, had to leave school after eighth grade to care for her ailing stepmother and do the household work. Unhappy with their lot, Jack and Lizzie also expected their children to move up and out. Despite the wariness of the second generation of Harnacks toward farm life, Harnack's memoir...

A feasibility study of Augmented Reality Intervention for Safety Education for farm parents and children.

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous U.S. occupations with high rates of injuries and fatalities, and especially more dangerous for children, having more young worker deaths than any other industry. Thus, safety education is essential in promoting safe and healthy working habits in agriculture. Augmented reality (AR) technology has great potential to enhance the effectiveness of safety education due to its high levels of system-user interactivity and media enjoyment. This study aims to: (1) develop Augmented Reality Intervention for Safety Education (ARISE), an AR 3D simulator that presents farm accident situations with immersive media technology, (2) examine the feasibility of ARISE, and (3) evaluate the potential of ARISE as an effective agricultural safety education program for farm parents and children. To test the feasibility of ARISE, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with ten parent-child dyads at an extension office located in Maryland. Participants were farmers who owned and operated a family farm(s) with their child or children ages 5-13. The interviews included asking participants questions about their perceptions of farm risks, sources of risk education, and protection methods. In the next step, participants used ARISE with researcher guidance. After using the application, participants were asked questions about their experience using ARISE and suggestions for improvement. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed following the conventional content analysis method. Three main themes emerged-demand (e.g., perceived risk and need for education; lack of farm safety education from school), acceptability (e.g., attitude toward AR technology; perceived realism; perceived ease of use; perceived usefulness), and implementation. These findings help us understand how an immersive experience can play an impactful role in enhancing agricultural safety. The feasibility of ARISE sheds light on the potential of AR technology for an innovative safety education program.

Dampak Covid-19 terhadap Tingkat Kecemasan dan Kinerja Keluarga Peternak Sapi Potong pada Peternakan Rakyat di Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat

Data on the development of the Covid-19 pandemic as of May 17 2020 shows that all areas in West Nusa Tenggara Province are declared as red zones. This condition causes people to become anxious. One community group that feels this anxiety is beef cattle breeders on smallholder farms. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the anxiety level of beef cattle farming families on smallholder farms in West Nusa Tenggara Province. The research method is a survey method from May to September 2022 in 10 regencies/cities throughout West Nusa Tenggara Province. There are 20 parameters that are measured as indicators of anxiety levels. Anxiety levels are measured with a Likert scale of 1-5. Data was tabulated using Microsoft Excel and then analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was most felt by the farmers' wives with an average anxiety level of 97.4%; farmer's children 94.0%; and father as the head of the family 93.3%. The performance of beef cattle breeders is measured by seven indicators showing that 81.5% of beef cattle raising families do not stay at home all day long, but 70.4% leave the house to work in the fields, gardens and fields, and earn a living for their families. The conclusion is that all members of the beef cattle farmer's family feel anxious about the Covid-19 pandemic. The farmer's wife is the member of the family who feels the most anxiety. Nonetheless, the Covid-19 pandemic did not have a negative impact on the performance of beef cattle farming families on smallholder farms in West Nusa Tenggara Province.

COVID-19 vaccine coverage disparities in rural and farm children

BackgroundThe risks of severe outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are elevated in unvaccinated individuals. It remains crucial to understand patterns of COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in younger and remote populations where coverage often lags. This study examined disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage in farm children and adolescents. MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted in patients of the Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) in Wisconsin. The sample included children/adolescents age 5–17 years who were eligible for COVID-19 vaccine initiation for ≥ 90 days (as of September 30, 2022), stratified by those who lived vs did not live on a farm. Outcomes included COVID-19 vaccine initiation, series completion, and booster receipt. Multivariable regression was used to examine associations between COVID-19 vaccination and farm, as well as rural and non-rural, residence. ResultsThere were 47,104 individuals (5% farm residents) in the sample. Overall, 33% of participants initiated and 31% completed the COVID-19 vaccine series. After adjustment, farm residence was associated with significantly lower odds of COVID-19 vaccine initiation (aOR [95% CI] = 0.68 [0.61, 0.75], p < 0.001), series completion (aOR = 0.67 [0.60, 0.75], p < 0.001), and booster receipt (aOR = 0.73 [0.61, 0.88], p = 0.001). Secondary analyses found COVID-19 vaccine coverage was lowest in young children who lived on dairy farms. ConclusionsCOVID-19 vaccine coverage is low in north-central Wisconsin children and adolescents. Those who live on farms have significantly lower likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine initiation, series completion, and booster receipt compared to non-farm counterparts. Farm families are an underserved group and require more effective public health interventions designed to prevent COVID-19.

Continuous Rather Than Solely Early Farm Exposure Protects From Hay Fever Development

An important window of opportunity for early-life exposures has been proposed for the development of atopic eczema and asthma. However, it is unknown whether hay fever with a peak incidence around late school age to adolescence is similarly determined very early in life. In the Protection against Allergy-Study in Rural Environments (PASTURE) birth cohort potentially relevant exposures such as farm milk consumption and exposure to animal sheds were assessed at multiple time points from infancy to age 10.5 years and classified by repeated measure latent class analyses (n= 769). Fecal samples at ages 2 and 12 months were sequenced by 16S rRNA. Hay fever was defined by parent-reported symptoms and/or physician's diagnosis of hay fever in the last 12 months using questionnaires at 10.5 years. Farm children had half the risk of hay fever at 10.5 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.50; 95% CI 0.31-0.79) than that of nonfarm children. Whereas early life events such as gut microbiome richness at 12 months (aOR 0.66; 95% CI 0.46-0.96) and exposure to animal sheds in the first 3 years of life (aOR 0.26; 95% CI 0.06-1.15) were determinants of hay fever, the continuous consumption of farm milk from infancy up to school age was necessary to exert the protective effect (aOR 0.35; 95% CI 0.17-0.72). While early life events determine the risk of subsequent hay fever, continuous exposure is necessary to achieve protection. These findings argue against the notion that only early life exposures set long-lasting trajectories.

Does subsidizing legume seeds improve farm productivity and nutrition in Malawi?

Over the last two decades, most African governments have been implementing agricultural input subsidy programs (ISPs) aimed at increasing crop yields, and incomes, and reducing hunger, nutritional insecurity, and poverty. Although ISPs are popular policy interventions, it remains unknown whether they improve the productivity of nutrient-dense crops such as legumes, dietary quality, and child or adolescent nutrition. We address this gap by testing the hypothesis that subsidizing legume seeds (SLS) improves farm productivity, dietary quality, and child or adolescent nutrition. To do this, we use decade-long nationally representative panel data from Malawi and panel regression models with an instrumental variable approach to address endogeneity. We found that SLS increases area planted with legume crops, groundnut yield, gross value of crop production, along with production and consumption (dietary) diversity, calories, and micronutrient—vitamin A and zinc—consumption. We further found that SLS is positively correlated with child or adolescent weight-for-age Z-score but not height-for-age Z-score. These novel findings emphasize that SLS could be among the key policy interventions to address malnutrition in the Malawian small farm sector.

The Effect of Agricultural Modernization on Work Preferences in Batu, East Java, Indonesia

This study aims to determine the effect of agricultural modernization on work preferences. There are two variables of agricultural modernization are used, which are the characteristics of human resources and farming characteristics. This type of research is survey research with a quantitative descriptive analysis. The location of this research was carried out in Batu on the respondents of Karang Taruna (Children of Farmers) aged 16-22 years. The sampling technique used the formula from Slovin to get 100 respondents. The sampling technique used Proportionate Random Sampling techniques and data collection methods through Google Form. Data analysis techniques in this study were the test instrument and multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that there was a significant influence on the modernization of agriculture on work preferences for Karang Taruna in Junrejo District Batu.