Osteoarthritis and Farm Youth: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting 50 million adults and 300,000 children. Of the many forms, osteoarthritis (OA) affects 27 million adults (Arthritis Foundation). While there is research on student athletes related to OA as it affects their performance and ability, no research could be identified that indicates the prevalence of OA in rural/farm youth.

Agriculture involves many physically demanding tasks, often requiring farm/ranch youth to work above and beyond their bodies’ capabilities. Such activities put them at danger of joint injury, stress, and strain and become precursors to OA as these individuals age.

The goal of this one-hour webinar is to identify reasons why farm youth may be more susceptible to joint injury and strain, describe outline methods for outreach and education to rural youth from a prevention standpoint, and introduce other educational resources available for use in these areas.

Topics include:

• Common risk factors associated with early-onset OA in youth
• OA prevention and education strategies for youth in their community
• A youth classroom lesson plan and online learning program
• Assistive technologies to assist in lowering strain and managing arthritis pain in agricultural work
• Resources for additional information from leading arthritis research organizations