Prioritization and Analysis of Factors Affecting the Occupational Health of Farmers: A Case Study of Gardeners in Ilam Province, Iran

 Introduction: Agriculture and horticulture have always been risky occupations, and the development of mechanization, despite reducing the difficulties of agricultural activities and increasing production, has caused numerous occupational injuries for farmers and gardeners. Therefore, this study aimed to prioritize and analyze the effective factors on gardeners' occupational health in Ilam, Iran.   Materials & Methods: This applied research was conducted quantitatively based on a causal relationship method. The statistical population of the study consisted of all gardeners in Ilam province (n=6711). The sample size was determined at 405 people using the sampling table of Bartlett et al. and stratified random sampling method. Ethics code:IR.MEDILAM.REC.1399.274   Findings: According to the results of factor analysis, the components affecting the gardeners' occupational health included supportive, economic, environmental and occupational, personal, professional, and educational factors. Path analysis findings using AMOS vol.23 software also showed that supportive factors had the greatest impact on gardeners' occupational health, followed by economic, environmental and occupational, personal, professional, and educational factors.   Discussions & Conclusions: Considering the findings of the present study and the effect of supportive factors on gardeners' occupational health as the most priority factor, it can be concluded that the occupational injuries of gardeners can be significantly reduced by increasing government support through providing financial incentives, subsidies, as well as long-term and low-interest facilities to develop and increase the health and safety of gardens and greenhouses.