Occupational risks and health: perceptions of indigenous female agricultural workers in Northwestern Mexico.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to learn the perceptions of indigenous female day laborers regarding health-related risks in the workplace, based on their own characterization of the requirements of agricultural work. The concept of occupational risk is understood as a flexible construct in which work conditions and the different perceptions and lived experiences of social actors are interrelated. A microstructural model is employed to explain the occupational risks and their relationship to social inequalities and impacts in health. The methodology used was qualitative, employing non-participant observation, participatory workshops and group interviews during 2011-2012. Sixty indigenous women participated in the study. Results reveal that their perception regarding occupational risks is constructed from everyday practices in their place of work and that most of their work activities place them in situations of risk.