Evaluation of a 3 year intervention to increase adoption of safer nursery crop production practices

BackgroundWe conducted a 3 year intervention to increase awareness and adoption of eight more profitable nursery crop production practices that reduced certain traumatic and musculoskeletal injury hazards.MethodsWe disseminated information to nursery managers across seven states using information channels they were known to rely on (e.g. trade publications, public events, university Extension, other managers). We evaluated rolling, independent, probability samples (n = 1200) with mail questionnaires before the intervention and after each of 3 intervention years. We also evaluated samples (n = 250) from a comparison group of New Zealand nursery managers.ResultsThe intervention was associated with increased awareness of four of the eight practices among US managers after year 3 compared to their baseline: zippers (20 vs. 32%, p ≤ 0.000), stools (11 vs. 22%, p ≤ 0.001), pruners (29 vs. 40%, p ≤ 0.014), and tarps (24 vs. 33%, p ≤ 0.009). There were no changes in adoption. New Zealand manager awareness was increased for hoes after year 2 compared to their baseline (35 vs. 52%, p ≤ 0.010).ConclusionsA modest, regionwide information dissemination intervention was associated with increased awareness, but not adoption.