Exploring an Incubator to Decrease Stress in Farmers Occupational Stress and Depression in Beginning Kentucky Farmers

NCT04932018 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 61320
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 17
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this 6- month study is to determine the feasibility of a start-up incubator intervention designed to decrease occupational stress and depression for beginning Kentucky farmers. The objectives are to: #1) test the feasibility of a mentorship and start-up incubator intervention on depression in beginning Kentucky farmers using questionnaires administered prestudy, mid-study, and post-study; #2) explore associations between mentorship, occupational stress and depression in beginning Kentucky farmers using specific survey questionnaires to guide future research. This study's results will provide valuable data to agriculture and occupational health researchers. The data will illustrate the impact of mentorship and community support on improving depression and occupational stress of beginning Kentucky farmers.

Conditions

Occupational Stress; Depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Occupational Stress

  Psychological stress as result of farming measured with the Farm Stressors Inventory, a 37 item self-report survey measuring potentially prevalent farm stressors. Items from the following categories of stressors are addressed in the assessment tool: personal finances, weather, regulatory climate, workload and other job demands, physical environment, control and ambiguity, interpersonal issues, and job and retirement security. The tool is comprised of a 1-5 likert scale of 37 items, higher scores indicating higher occupational stress related to farming.

  Change from baseline occupational stress at 6 months

• Depressive symptoms

  Depressive symptoms as measured with the 10-item short Beck Depression Inventory to detect moderate and severe depressive episodes. High sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) were obtained with a cut-off score of 9/10 (sensitivity = 100%, specificity = 83.1%, NPV = 100%). High sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were obtained with a cut-off score of 13/14 (sensitivity = 93.5%, specificity = 96%, PPV = 85.3%). The area under the ROC curve was 98.4% (95% Confidence Interval = 0.97-1.00). This tool includes 10 items, each including four alternative statements ranging in order of severity from zero to three. For the short form ,higher scores indicate higher depression.

  Change from baseline depressive symptoms at 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Self-Efficacy

  Change from baseline self-efficacy at 6 months

• Adherence to Intervention

  6 months

Study Arms (2)

Interventional

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention group will participate in a round table educational session with a study facilitator/mentor farmer and occupational health nurse plus receive an invitation to participate in an interactive virtual community providing ongoing resources and support from community farmers and agriculture experts.

Behavioral: Virtual Community of Support; Behavioral: Mentorship Incubator

Attention Control

SHAM COMPARATOR

The second group (attention control) will receive an invitation to participate in the virtual community without mentor interaction.

Behavioral: Virtual Community of Support

Interventions

Virtual Community of Support BEHAVIORAL

The 6-month virtual community will consist of self-directed learning modules that will vary in content from worker and family relationships, collaboration and skill acquisition to self-care habits; problem-solving; monthly sessions will include a positive psychology exercise.

Attention Control; Interventional

Mentorship Incubator BEHAVIORAL

The 6-month incubator intervention will consist of monthly interactive time with an assigned study facilitator/farmer mentor.

Interventional

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• classified as a beginning farmer by the USDA criteria
• has the ability to read and speak English;
• access to wi-fi or smartphone technology.
• primary residence or farm in Washington, Anderson, Franklin, Henry, Scott, Harrison, Woodford or Owen County, Kentucky

You may not qualify if:

• \- less than 18 years of age.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Martha Biddle: lead
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH/CDC): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky, 40507, United States

Location

Related Publications (14)

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  PMID: 3799552 BACKGROUND

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  PMID: 9338954 BACKGROUND

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  PMID: 30439869 BACKGROUND

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  PMID: 4023147 BACKGROUND

• Rudolphi JM, Berg RL, Parsaik A. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Among Young Farmers and Ranchers: A Pilot Study. Community Ment Health J. 2020 Jan;56(1):126-134. doi: 10.1007/s10597-019-00480-y. Epub 2019 Oct 3.

  PMID: 31583619 BACKGROUND

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• Kris-Etherton PM, Petersen KS, Hibbeln JR, Hurley D, Kolick V, Peoples S, Rodriguez N, Woodward-Lopez G. Nutrition and behavioral health disorders: depression and anxiety. Nutr Rev. 2021 Feb 11;79(3):247-260. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa025.

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  PMID: 17716090 BACKGROUND

• Truchot D, Andela M. Burnout and hopelessness among farmers: The Farmers Stressors Inventory. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2018 Aug;53(8):859-867. doi: 10.1007/s00127-018-1528-8. Epub 2018 May 3.

  PMID: 29725701 BACKGROUND

• Fernander AF, Duran RE, Saab PG, Llabre MM, Schneiderman N. Assessing the reliability and validity of the John Henry Active Coping Scale in an urban sample of African Americans and white Americans. Ethn Health. 2003 May;8(2):147-61. doi: 10.1080/13557850303563.

  PMID: 14671768 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Occupational Stress; Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Occupational Diseases; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Martha Biddle, PhD

  University of Kentucky

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 10, 2021
• First Posted: June 18, 2021
• Study Start: April 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2022
• Study Completion: September 30, 2022
• Last Updated: November 18, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)