Feasibility Study on Recruiting Farm Workers for Injury Research in New Zealand
Author Information
Author(s): Simon Horsburgh, John D. Langley
Primary Institution: University of Otago
Hypothesis
Can a prospective cohort study effectively recruit and retain farm owners and workers in New Zealand?
Conclusion
The study found that while recruitment was challenging, once participants were enrolled, retention rates were high.
Supporting Evidence
- Recruitment levels were comparable with other studies, with 24% of farms and 36% of non-owner workers participating.
- Retention rates were high at 85% for farms and 86% for workers once recruited.
- The study highlighted the importance of a streamlined consent process to improve participation rates.
Takeaway
This study looked at how to get farmers and their workers to join a research project about farm injuries. It found that getting them to join was hard, but once they did, most stayed until the end.
Methodology
A feasibility study simulating a six-month prospective cohort study was conducted, analyzing recruitment and retention rates of farm owners and workers.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the higher likelihood of safety-conscious farms participating.
Limitations
The study was limited to primarily pastoral farming operations in a specific area, which may affect generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Participants included farm owners and workers aged 16 and over, primarily from pastoral farming operations.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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