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Sleep in Ag: Investing in the Feasibility of Measuring Sleep Quantity and Quality in Agriculture Workers

Subcontract

Research Team

Principal Investigator: Susan Harris

Co-Principal Investigators: Amanda Prokasky

Funding Information

Funding Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Subcontract from: University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)

Award Date: Dec 1, 2020

End Date: May 21, 2021

Abstract

This project is funded by a subcontract from Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The project is designed to collect objective sleep data in an agricultural worker population in Nebraska and the Midwest to investigate the quantity and quality of sleep among farmers and ranchers during peak and non-peak seasons.

The goal is to use collected data to determine the need, value and efficacy of potential educational interventions aimed at improving sleep quantity and quality among agricultural workers to reduce risk of accident and injury. This unique project will fill a critical research gap in knowledge of sleep patterns in an agricultural population.

Data will be collected by a Actiwatch Spectrum Plus wrist devices, which monitors and records continuous data on daily physical activity and sleep patterns. Participants will wear the device for one week during busy, peak times, and again during a slower week. Data will be compared from the two weeks to identify differences in sleep patterns.


Rural Schools and Communities, Research, Measurement and Evaluation Methods