Occupational characteristics in dairy farmers in 1998
| Subjects | 155 |
| Activity level | |
| Active | 120 (77.4) |
| Retired, still working on a farm | 13 (8.4) |
| Retired, no longer working on a farm | 22 (14.2) |
| Farm characteristics | |
| Modernisation | |
| Traditional | 14 (9) |
| Modernised | 61 (39.4) |
| Modern | 80 (51.6) |
| Size hectares | 60.5±27.1 |
| Size of fodder lands hectares | 31.5±16.7 |
| Herd size | 67.2±32.9 |
| Fodder storage method | |
| Bulk | 14 (9) |
| Packed in average density bale | 66 (42.6) |
| Packed in round bales | 61 (39.4) |
| Barn drying | 67.2 (32.9) |
| Fodder handling | |
| Never | 37 (23.9) |
| Stopped ≥1 yr | 30 (19.4) |
| Currently | 88 (56.8) |
| Bale-yrs | |
| 1986–1998 | 265.8±282.4 |
| Cumulative | 584.7±590.4 |
| Time spent in barn 1986–1998 h·yr−1 | 897.4±385.9 |
| Prevention system against exposure to micro-organisms 1986–1998 | |
| Yes | 63 (41.4) |
| No | 89 (58.6) |
| Evolution of exposure 1986–1998 | |
| Unchanged | 62 (40.3) |
| Increased | 32 (20.8) |
| Decreased | 60 (39) |
Data are presented as n, n (%) or mean±sd.