Falls Are the Leading Cause of Injuries among Farmers—Limitations of Practicing Judo in Preventing These Incidents

Abstract

Benefits related to doing martial arts go beyond health-related and constitute very useful life skills. One of them is ability to fall safely. It is an important skill since falls are a common cause of injuries. The aim of the study is knowledge regarding the burden of falls in a population of farmers. This systematic review was prepared according to PRISMA guidelines. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, Web of Science. A total of 21 articles met eligibility criteria. The common general observation was that fall (regardless of type) caused various body injuries in populations of agriculture workers. Fall was the leading cause of injuries in only one population, and the most frequently classified second or third causes among all other listed injuries. People employed in the agriculture sector constitute an occupational group with an increased risk of injury as a result of accidental fall, which may lead to disability or even death (in extreme situations). Safe fall training would be an important addition to traditional fall prophylaxis applied on farms. The authors indicate the limitations of judo as a base of such a program, such as with superficial analysis of this issue in scientific publications. There is a need for a critical and wary approach to recommendations that are limited to prophylaxis of the effects of accidental falls that are founded on judo or other combat sports and martial arts.

Keywords

• agriculture injuries
• martial arts
• safe fall programs