Australian farmers are being urged to check in on their own health using an online tool, with research showing they are more prone to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and unsafe alcohol consumption.
Researchers from the National Centre for Farmer Health developed the tool called Farmer HAT when pandemic lockdowns put an end to the organisation’s face-to-face check-ins at field days.
Farmer HAT asks for health, safety and wellbeing information to identify any risks of disease and harm, then directs users to online resources or refers them to their GP.
In a small pilot of 36 sheep farmers who used the tool, data showed 52 per cent were at risk of heart disease, and 64 per cent were overweight or obese….