New Study Examines Growing Toll of Back Pain on Farmworkers

Scientists from the University of Florida-based Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS), including faculty from UF’s College of Public Health and Health Professions (PHHP) and the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences (FYCS), are conducting a study to determine if self-management of pain and ergonomic modifications are effective for addressing back pain in the horticulture industry.

In the study’s first phase, stakeholders from the horticulture industry, including supervisors, workers, and insurance consultants, confirmed that many workers continue working despite discomfort.

Early interviews with horticulture workers and industry leaders highlighted the seasonal and weather-related variability in workloads, requiring practical solutions that serve both employees and employers.

Workers described spending long hours lifting heavy plants, carrying materials, digging, and working in bent or awkward positions, all of which can take a toll on the body over time. Many said the short-term benefits of working through pain can come at a longer-term cost, including injuries, worker burnout, lost productivity and challenges keeping talented employees.

Study participants say preventing back injuries would not require major changes in workplace practices, but they pointed to the need for tailored interventions for the horticulture industry. They acknowledged the need for greater awareness in the workplace about pain, and more guidance on injury prevention, an area where formal training is often limited, says Kim Dunleavy, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy in UF’s PHHP and lead researcher for this study.

Using the information collected in the first phase, the research team created short videos introducing the risks of medication, including opioids, alternative options to manage pain spikes and easy ways to modify work to reduce physical stress.

“Participants in the study were grateful to their companies for making it possible for them to participate and commented on the importance of options to help them continue to work and to reduce their pain,” Dunleavy says.

Preliminary findings are encouraging with improvements in work task difficulty and pain, she adds. The results highlight the importance of introducing the risks of pain medication, encouraging workers to use simple ways to manage pain and tailoring strategies to protect workers before pain becomes a more serious or long-term problem.

“Workers shared ways to adjust tasks with others rather than ignoring the pain, allowing them to ask for or offer help.”

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