A review of anthropometric indicators in farmers and its importance in designing agricultural tools

Background: Nowadays, with the increasing importance of ergonomic science in preventing musculoskeletal disorders, the importance of data related to the anthropometry in different groups of society has also increased. Anthropometric indices in farmers, as an important indicator in the design of agricultural tools and equipment, are of great importance. Therefore, in this study, the review of anthropometric indices in farmers has been investigated.Methods: In this study, using the keywords agriculture, farmer and anthropometry from the Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science databases, all articles containing original research papers, review articles and technical notes of English and without time limits were studied.Results: In this study, 98 papers collected from the databases, 10 original research papers and 2 technical notes were included and studied. Based on the results of these studies, it was found that anthropometric indices differ among farmers in different countries and even with farmers in different regions of each country. It was also found that there were no identical anthropometric data in different age and gender groups. Based on these studies, it was found that the results of anthropometric data in farmers are not constant over time, and therefore it is necessary to periodically measure these indicators.Conclusion: Considering the high importance of agricultural work in the production of agricultural products and raw materials consumed in factories in each country, and the high risk of musculoskeletal disorders in these occupations, attention to the principles of ergonomics in the design of agricultural tools and equipment is critical to preventing musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, according to the results obtained from this study, the latest data on the anthropometry of each region in each country, which have been done periodically, should be used in the design of agricultural tools.