Abstract
Intervention research in agriculture was discussed. The discussion focused on the Respiratory Health in Swine Confinement Project (RHSCP) as a case study for some of the important issues related to intervention research in agriculture. The RHSCP addressed health related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among swine confinement workers in Iowa. The goals of the project were to increase the knowledge of swine confinement workers about human respiratory conditions and alter their attitudes and behaviors toward preventing respiratory problems. The RHSCP included an educational program consisting of three components: distribution of educational materials on which the participants were tested, group meetings at which the use of dust masks and indoor air masks was demonstrated and barriers to following recommendations for preventing respiratory hazards were discussed, and industrial hygiene surveys of the participants' farms for which they were given timely feedback. Methodological issues relevant to performing an agricultural intervention drawn from experience with the RHSCP were discussed. These include identifying an appropriate study population, developing an educational interest that is appropriate to the farming community, designing community based interventions, using expert investigators and other methods to reliably measure exposures, particularly to chemicals and pesticides, and solving problems associated with evaluating exposures to agricultural hazards. Applying qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis in agricultural interventions was discussed.
