Current SW Ag Center Projects
Projects are awarded funding from NIOSH on a competitive basis.
Research Projects
Addressing Health Disparities among Commercial Fishermen by Implementing a Community-based Intervention
PI: Shannon Guillot-Wright, PhD
The research team will conduct a mixed-methods ethnography, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and photovoice; work with shrimp fishermen to develop and pilot-test a culturally appropriate intervention to prevent slips, trips, and falls; evaluate the effectiveness of the adapted intervention among a new cohort of Gulf Coast shrimp fishermen, as measured by baseline and 6-month post-baseline survey self-report, as well as accident/fatality statistics; and work alongside shrimp fishermen in translating data for policymakers and practitioners to advance equitable and evidence-based workplace safety measures for Gulf Coast shrimp fishermen.
Characterization and Comparison of Worker Health Status on Western US Large Herd Dairy Farms
PI: David Douphrate, PhD, MPT, MBA, CPE, CSP
Utilizing a Total Worker Health®, approach the research team will characterize the health status of workers on large-herd dairy farms in the western U.S., which will include: the identification of job factors associated with health status of dairy farm workers; an estimation of COVID-19 prevalence and experiences among dairy farm workers; and a determination of on- and off-farm healthcare service delivery priorities, access barriers, feasibility, and utilization among dairy farm workers. The project will also estimate prevalence of cardiovascular, renal, and musculoskeletal risk factors among dairy farm workers by utilizing point-of-care biometric testing during on-farm health risk screening events. The team will assess healthcare utilization among participants referred to local health care providers due to identified health risks during on-farm health risk screenings. Lastly, this project will evaluate on- farm health risk screening satisfaction and benefits among dairy workers.
Integrating Motor Vehicle Crash and Injury Data in AgFF Surveillance and Research
PI: Eva Shipp, PhD
This project seeks to fulfill two aims: (1) Expand the SW Ag Center regional crash surveillance system to capture fatal and nonfatal injuries involving motor vehicles on public roadways and other locations and (2) Develop and evaluate a pilot set of AgFF MV OHIs for monitoring fatal and nonfatal injury due to motor vehicles in young and adult AgFF workers. The objective of this project is to accelerate the growth of surveillance systems that address the needs of AgFF workers and simultaneously fill gaps in the understanding of transportation-related injuries and their prevention. Findings will have a positive impact by fundamentally advancing surveillance methods through a cross-disciplinary, AgFF and transportation safety, approach.
Role of Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles from Organic Dust in Lung Inflammation
PI: Vijayakumar Boggaram, PhD
Based on the team’s recently published findings, they hypothesize that microbe associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) from dust EVs acting via toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 pathway and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation increase oxidative stress and NF-KB and Stat3 activation to induce lung inflammation. This project will address two specific aims. In Specific Aim 1, the importance of MAMPs and the involvement of TLR-2 in the induction of lung inflammatory responses will be studied. In Specific Aim 2, the role of AhR and the crosstalk between TLR2 and AhR in the induction of inflammatory responses will be studied. Human Beas2B airway epithelial cell line, primary normal human airway epithelial cells and TLR2- and AhRdeficient mice will be employed to carry out the proposed studies. Our studies will fill gaps in our understanding of organic dust induced lung inflammation by unraveling mechanisms by which TLR2 and AhR pathways mediate induction of lung inflammation and development of lung injury by bacterial EVs, a key constituent of organic dust.
Feasibility Studies
Staying Strong on the Job: A Study of Exercise Benefits and Beliefs in Agricultural Workers
Nicholas J. Spokely, PhD
Purpose: The project aims to: 1) quantitatively measure the effectiveness of the Stay Strong, Stay Healthy exercise program for improving nursery workers’ physical capacity and psychosocial aspects of pain, fear of falling, sleep quality, general health, and self-efficacy to exercise and job performance and 2) qualitatively explore and assess participants’ beliefs and perspectives of health behaviors, barriers to personal health, and injury risk.
2023-2024
Pilot Test of a Virtual Reality-Based Tractor Safety Training
Justin Pulley, PhD
Purpose: This project aims to: 1) describe the performance of participants who engaged in a tractor and machinery safety course; 2) determine the effectiveness of virtual reality-based educational technology used in tractor and machinery safety education; and 3) describe participants’ User Experience with the virtual reality-based machinery safety experience.
2024
Assessment of Oklahoma Cattle Producer’s Knowledge and Awareness of Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
Jonathon Cammack, PhD
Purpose: This project aims to: 1) assess knowledge of ticks and tick-borne diseases among Oklahoma cattle producers and 2) identify measures employed by cattle producers to protect against ticks and tick-borne diseases.
2024-2025
Developing and Implementing an Integrated Wearable Sweat Sensor to Monitor the Health of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) Workers
Shawana Tabassum, PhD
Purpose: This project aims to: 1) develop a fully integrated wristband-style sensor to monitor cortisol levels in sweat and 2) develop a time-series profile for the selected sweat biomarkers in AgFF workers.
2024-2025