CHILDHOOD AGRICULTURAL INJURY PREVENTION INITIATIVE

Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey (CAIS) Results

Youth who live on, work on, or visit farms in the United States (U.S.) have been identified as a special population at high risk for non-fatal and fatal injuries. Between 1996 and 2015, NIOSH conducted the Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative to promote the reduction of injuries and fatalities to youth on farms in the U.S. A major component of this initiative was the development of an ongoing surveillance program to track the magnitude of non-fatal injuries occurring to all youth exposed to hazards on farms.

An initial step in the development of the surveillance program was the completion of a farm operator survey conducted in 1999, which collected injury and demographic data for the calendar year 1998. NIOSH collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) to conduct this survey called the Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey (CAIS). The results of this survey were released in 2001, and contained both injury and demographic estimates for youth on farms in the U.S.

Since the initial survey, NIOSH collaborated with USDA-NASS to conduct six additional CAIS for the years 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2014. As with the original CAIS, each survey collected injury and demographic information.

The CAIS data tables providing results from the six surveys are divided into two broad categories:

• Farm youth demographic estimates
• Farm youth injury estimates

Interpretation of these data are provided in NIOSH documents and publications. Farm youth demographic and injury estimates in the tables were calculated by NIOSH and are presented with the approval of USDA-NASS. Public access to all CAIS data files, or additional estimates from the CAIS, are subject to the approval of USDA-NASS. For additional information contact Kitty Hendricks.