Farming fit? Dispelling the Australian agrarian myth

BMC Research Notes

Table 1 The relationship of apparent psychological distress and anthropometric characteristics in mature aged farm men and women (≥50 years old)

		Not distressed n (%)	Psychologically distressed^an (%)	P
Body Mass Index	Obese/overweight	273(68.4)	222(77.4)	0.010*
	Not obese	126(31.6)	65(22.6)
Abdominal obesity	Obese	239(61.1)	202(72.4)	0.02*
(Waist circumference)	Not obese	152(38.9)	77(27.6)
Body fat%	High body fat%	230(63.2)	194(71.9)	0.022*
	Not high body fat%	134(36.8)	76(28.1)

^a Psychological distress was assumed for K-10 score ≥16 or previously diagnosed mental illness. Probability (p) calculated using two-tail Pearson chi-square test. * Significance was assumed if p ≤ 0.05
In our preliminary analysis of farmer mental and physical health, we utilised the Pearson chi-square test to identify the interrelationship of psychological distress status and the prevalence of obesity (body mass index), abdominal obesity (waist circumference) and body fat percentage (measured using single beam bioelectrical impedance analysis [9]).

ISSN: 1756-0500