Building a clearer understanding of farming people's health is essential to ensuring support continues to reflect changing needs. That means combining lived experience with clinical evidence to develop a more complete understanding of the challenges facing farming communities.
Led by RABI's Research Manager, Dr Claire Hargreaves, the study Health and healthcare among farmers in Wales provides new evidence about the health of farming people in Wales and builds on the findings of RABI's Big Farming Survey.
While the Big Farming Survey has helped us better understand how farming people experience their health and wellbeing, this study examines clinical data from GP and hospital records.
Self-reported experiences and clinical records each provide different insights. Together, these sources provide a more complete understanding of farming people's health and the barriers they may face when accessing healthcare.
Background to the research
The research began while Dr Claire Hargreaves was based at Lancaster University as part of an ADR UK-funded Research Fellowship. Supported by Rhodri Johnson, Sian Morrison-Rees and Paul Caskie, she developed the research framework, with RABI contributing through the project's research steering group.
Claire's role at RABI helps ensure that research findings inform the development of practical, evidence-led support. A better understanding of farming people's health and their experiences of healthcare is essential if we are to improve access to the right support.
Dr Claire Hargreaves, Research Manager at RABI, says:
"This study provides valuable new insight into the health of farming people in Wales by combining clinical data with the experiences shared through RABI's Big Farming Survey. Together, these different sources of evidence help build a more complete understanding of the health challenges facing farming communities and where barriers to accessing healthcare may exist. By continuing to strengthen the evidence base, we can help ensure future support is informed by robust research and the realities of farming life."
Caron Whaley, Director of Services at RABI, continues:
"Research is central to RABI's five-year strategy and underpins how we continue to evolve our services to meet the changing needs of farming people. As an evidence-led organisation, we're committed to building a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing farming communities, ensuring our support is informed by robust research and real-life experiences.
The Big Farming Survey has already provided invaluable insight into the health and wellbeing of farming people across England and Wales. Studies such as this build on that evidence, helping us better understand health outcomes, identify where barriers exist and contribute meaningful evidence to policymakers, parliamentarians and partners working to improve support for farming communities.
As RABI continues to expand its research programme, studies such as this strengthen the evidence that informs our services and contributes to a broader understanding of the health and wellbeing of farming people.
What the data shows
The study identified higher recorded levels of mental health diagnoses and circulatory conditions among farming people in Wales, alongside increasing use of healthcare services. RABI's forthcoming health research will build on these findings, helping to strengthen understanding of how farming people access healthcare and where barriers remain.
These findings strengthen the evidence base for understanding the health needs of farming people in Wales. Alongside insights from the Big Farming Survey, they will help inform how RABI continues to shape its services, improve access to support and contribute credible evidence to wider conversations about rural healthcare.
RABI is committed to improving access to health and wellbeing support for farming people while continuing to contribute to research that builds a clearer understanding of health across the farming community.
Together, this evidence helps inform better support and strengthens understanding of the factors that influence health and wellbeing in farming.
