Table 1 Demographic and farming characteristics of conventional farmers and organic farmers.
| Conventional farmers (n = 1205) | Organic farmers (n = 593) | |
|---|---|---|
| Male, n (%) | 658 (54.6) | 317 (53.5) |
| Mean (SD) age, years | 45.5 (9.7) | 44.2 (8.4) |
| Mean (SD) years of farm work | 21.8 (10.8) | 16.6 (9.9) |
| Education, n (%) | ||
| Low or medium | 965 (80.8) | 325 (55.5) |
| High (at least higher secondary education) | 229 (19.2) | 261 (44.5) |
| Smoking habits, n (%) | ||
| Current | 228 (19.1) | 91 (15.4) |
| Ever | 380 (31.8) | 210 (35.6) |
| Asthma in parents or siblings, n (%) | 193 (16.1) | 96 (16.3) |
| Hay fever in parents or siblings, n (%) | 204 (17.1) | 130 (22) |
| Childhood farming environment, n (%) | ||
| No | 202 (16.8) | 226 (38.1) |
| Crops only | 234 (19.4) | 80 (13.5) |
| Livestock | 769 (63.8) | 287 (48.5) |
| Current farm type, n (%) | ||
| Crops only | 428 (35.5) | 201 (33.9) |
| Livestock and crops | 137 (11.4) | 121 (20.4) |
| Livestock only | 640 (53.1) | 271 (45.7) |
| Farm childhood, adulthood livestock farming, n (%) | ||
| No, No | 86 (7.1) | 98 (16.5) |
| No, Yes | 116 (9.6) | 128 (21.6) |
| Yes, No | 342 (28.4) | 103 (17.4) |
| Yes, Yes | 661 (54.9) | 264 (44.6) |
| Livestock type, n (%) | ||
| Dairy | 558 (46.3) | 254 (42.8) |
| Pigs | 372 (30.9) | 43 (7.3) |
| Sheep | 79 (6.6) | 90 (15.2) |
| Poultry | 33 (2.7) | 47 (7.9) |
| Beef or veal | 33 (2.7) | 43 (7.3) |
| Goats | 8 (0.7) | 39 (6.6) |
| Crop type, n (%) | ||
| Arable farming | 548 (45.5) | 167 (28.2) |
| Horticulture | 120 (10) | 256 (43.2) |
| Disinfectant use, n (%) | ||
| QACs | 183 (15.2) | 34 (5.7) |
| Other disinfectants | 541 (44.9) | 197 (33.2) |
QACs, quaternary ammonium compounds.