Injury and Asthma Among Youth Less Than 20 Years of Age on Minority Farm Operations in the United States, 2000

In 1996, NIOSH began the Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative to prevent farm related injuries to the millions of youth less than 20 years of age who are exposed to agricultural hazards each year. Youth on farms may be exposed to a wide range of work and non-work-related hazards, including falls, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and animals. As a place of work and a place of residence, the farm presents unique challenges for injury prevention. The NIOSH initiative is based on a comprehensive program of surveillance, research, and partnerships. In keeping with the breadth of the Initiative, the following document presents national data for non-fatal youth injuries on racial minority farms for 2000. These data, drawn from a special survey of minority farm operators across the U.S., indicate that 531 youth were injured on racial minority farms during 2000. The causes of these injuries included falls, animals, and vehicles such as ATVs. This document, which is the first in a series of four documents, fills a current data need by providing national demographic information on youth exposed to these hazards on minority farm operations. This document is an important step in understanding the magnitude of youth injuries occurring on racial minority-operated farms in the U.S. We hope this information will serve as a valuable resource to federal, state and local agencies; health and safety professionals; and farm safety advocates in their efforts to develop focused and coordinated strategies to prevent youth injuries on farms.