Children Of Migrant Farmworkers Research Articles

Healthcare utilization for asthma exacerbation among children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers

Latino children of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFWs) with asthma are at risk for poor health outcomes due to medical access barriers. We compared differences in acute care utilization for asthma exacerbations among migrant and non-migrant Latino and non-Hispanic white (NHW) children at U.S. community health centers.A retrospective observational study utilizing electronic health record data from the ADVANCE Clinical Research Network of United States community health centers included 13,423 children ages 3–17 with a primary care visit between 2005 and 2017 from eight states. Emergency department (ED) and hospitalization data came from Oregon Medicaid claims. Outcomes included acute clinic visits, ED visits, and hospitalizations for asthma exacerbation. Regression analyses adjusted for patient-level covariates.Latino children had higher odds of acute clinic visits for asthma exacerbation compared to NHW children (MSFW odds ratio [OR] = 1.17, 95 % CI = 1.03–1.33; without migrant status OR = 1.13, 95 % CI = 1.03–1.23). MSFW children using Oregon Medicaid had fewer ED visits (rate ratio [RR] = 0.72, 95 % CI = 0.52–0.99) and hospitalizations (RR = 0.47, 95 % CI = 0.26–0.86) compared to NHW children.Increased community health center visits may help mitigate disparities in acute asthma care for MSFW children.

Teachers’ perspectives on communication and parent engagement in early childhood education programs for migrant farmworker children

As early childhood education programs in the United States increasingly serve a growing number of children from linguistically and culturally diverse families, understanding teacher practices to better serve these families continues to be an important focus for the profession. In programs that serve migrant farmworker families, little is known about teachers’ communication practices and ways in which teachers promote parent engagement with migrant farmworker families. This article explores the practices of teachers relevant to family communication and engagement in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs, a branch of Head Start program for farmworker families, mostly of Mexican origin. This study used qualitative methods of in-depth interviews and a focus group to bring forth the perspectives and lived experience of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking teachers working with farmworker families in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Key findings illustrate the role of shared language and culture, mediated language barriers, the reliability of interpreters and written communication, and authentic ways of creating home–school connections with the migrant farmworker community.

The Associations between Enrollment Duration and Health Outcomes among Migrant Head Start Children

This study examined the association between enrollment duration and health treatment outcomes among migrant Head Start children. Children (n = 1,399) were divided into two groups: those who enrolled for 1 year and those who enrolled more than 2 years. Health treatment outcomes were preventative dental treatment, asthma treatment, hearing/vision, and anemia/high lead level treatment. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether enrollment duration has any association with health treatment outcomes. Child and family baseline variables were examined for their association with enrollment duration. Children who were enrolled more than 2 years were likely to be older, to live with two parents, to speak Spanish at home, to receive supplemental nutritional assistance program, to live in a higher family income household, to have reliable transportation and to stay in the program for more weeks. Longer enrollment duration has a positive association with preventative dental treatment, asthma treatment, and hearing/vision treatment. Thus, active recruitment through interagency collaborations for children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers needs to be done to promote earlier and longer enrollment duration for the migrant Head Start program. A future study needs to be done on the barriers to health care treatment services among migrant children.

Executive function, dispositional resilience, and cognitive engagement in Latinx children of migrant farmworkers

Children from Latinx migrant farmworker (LMFW) families are one of the most educationally disenfranchised and marginalized student populations in the United States. They experience significant contextual risks and stressors which are linked to poor adjustment as well as lower academic engagement and success. Given that LMFW children are understudied, especially likely to experience substantial adversity, and are a vulnerable student population, it is imperative for researchers to examine factors that contribute to their well-being and school success. In the present study, we assessed whether behavioral tasks of executive function contributed to resilience and academic mastery/efficacy in LMFW children (N = 66, mean age = 12.79, 55% male). Results found associations between executive function tasks and dispositional resilience; however, executive function was not directly associated with academic mastery/efficacy. Dispositional resilience was significantly positively associated with academic mastery/efficacy. These findings suggest that it may be critically important for organizations working with LMFW children to foster and boost children's executive function skills. Additional research mitigating adversity and promoting the academic success and engagement of LMFW children is needed.

Visual Impairment and Eye Disease Among Children of Migrant Farmworkers.

To determine the prevalence of reduced visual acuity and ocular disease in the children of migrant farmworkers in Georgia. A retrospective chart review of data acquired by a vision screening was performed on 156 Haitian and Hispanic children of migrant farmworkers attending a summer school in Georgia. Reduced visual acuity at presentation was analyzed and stratified by ethnicity, type of ocular disease, and immediate resolution with refractive correction. The authors found that 20% of migrant farmworker children have a high prevalence of reduced visual acuity in the worse eye. Of those with worse-eye reduced visual acuity, 83% had uncorrected refractive error. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error from astigmatism and high astigmatism was significantly higher among Hispanics than Haitians. The prevalence of amblyopia suspects among migrant farmworker children was 3%. Of the amblyopia suspects, 80% were anisometropic. Children of migrant farmworkers in Georgia have a higher rate of reduced visual acuity, largely from uncorrected refractive error, when compared to other Hispanic and African American children in the United States with a prevalence more aligned to children in Asian and Latin American countries than school children in the United States. This illustrates the need for improved access to screening and care in this vulnerable population. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2019;56(1):28-34.].

A mixed‐method examination of ego‐resiliency, adjustment problems, and academic engagement in children of Latino migrant farmworkers

AbstractChildren from Latino migrant farmworker (LMFW) families are one of the most educationally disenfranchised and marginalized populations of students in the United States. These children face similar disadvantages to other low‐income immigrant families, but often experience unique contextual stressors due to high mobility that places them at high risk for mental health problems, risk‐taking behaviors, and poor academic engagement. Despite these high vulnerabilities few researchers have focused their efforts on LMFW children specifically, or addressed resilience factors in particular. Ego‐resiliency is an enduring psychological construct reflecting how individuals overcome day‐to‐day challenges. We used a convergent mixed method cross‐sectional design to examine the effects of LMFW children's (N = 66, ages 6–18, Mage = 12.79) depressive and conduct problems on their academic efficacy/mastery, and whether ego‐resiliency counteracted these relations. Ego‐resiliency was negatively associated with depression and conduct problems, and positively related to academic efficacy/mastery. Conduct problems were negatively related to academic efficacy/mastery, but depression was not. Ego‐resiliency also moderated the relation of depression to academic efficacy/mastery. Qualitative results provided a deeper explanation of contributing factors to LMFW children's adjustment, how adjustment problems affected their academic success, and the coping mechanisms and resilience factors used by LMFW children to overcome difficult experiences.

Voices from the harvest: The role of language, identity, and life experience in the education of young children of migrant farmworkers

ABSTRACTThis study is an ethnographic case study that focuses on three family members from Mexican migrant farmworker households (a father, a grandmother, and mother), their discussions around the topic of educating their children, and their engagement in the seasonal early childcare programs that serve farmworker children. This study takes a sociocultural perspective to examine parental lessons in the home, views of institutionalized education, and the role of beliefs, identity, and life experience that contribute to the early years of a child’s education. This study address gaps in the research related to migrant farmworker families with young children in early childhood education programs.

Visual impairment and eye disease among children of migrant farmworkers

Visual impairment and eye disease among children of migrant farmworkers

Migrant Students’ Emergent Conscientization Through Critical, Socioculturally Responsive Literacy Pedagogy

This article analyzes data from a summer literacy program for intermediate and middle-level children of migrant farmworkers. The program was grounded in a sociocultural perspective on literacy, stressing the importance of interaction and collaboration within socioculturally responsive pedagogy, using enabling literature to empower students. Adaptations of readers’ and writers’ workshop methods, emphasizing the significance of valuing students’ individual responses, were used throughout. The students were presented with a documentary, young adult novels, and more than two dozen children’s picture storybooks representing the lives of migrant farmworkers. Then, using their own responses to these enabling mentor texts as scaffolding, the students collaborated to create illustrated narratives about growing up as migrants. The program provided a safe space that encouraged migrant students to express their experiences and concerns—normally silenced in classrooms—during literacy tasks and empowered them to ask for support. The program demonstrated the benefits of combining socioculturally responsive critical literacy pedagogy with enabling instructional materials in the development of emergent conscientization among the students. Finally, this article shows how the migrant students’ perspectives and experiences can inform and challenge teachers, citizens, and policy makers to address the systemic injustices in the lives of migrant children.

Cultivating Aesthetic and Creative Expression: An Arts-Based Professional Development Project for Migrant Education

Due to varied factors, children of migrant farm workers in Fuerte School District experience serious disparities and missed opportunities for high quality arts learning. To address this gap, an art...

The Impact of Head Start Enrollment Duration on Migrant Children’s Health Outcomes

The purpose of this study is to examine whether family characteristics and the length of children’s enrollment in Migrant Head Start affects children’s health treatment. Children in the Michigan Migrant Head Start were classified depending on years of enrollments: One year (n = 638), two years (n = 293), and three or more years (n = 426). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether the probability of children receiving health treatment differed depending on years of enrollment. There is a higher health treatment rate among children who attended Head Start for multiple years than for those who attended for one year. Children’s special needs status, of siblings, ethnicity, parental educational level, and marital status were related to preventative dental and physical health treatment outcomes. Although the primary goal of Head Start is school readiness rather than health improvement, migrant and seasonal farmworker children are likely to receive more health treatment if they attend more years of comprehensive intervention, such as Head Start, for positive physical and dental health.

Making a Difference in Migrant Summer School: Testing a Healthy Weight Intervention.

Evaluate the effectiveness of a healthy weight intervention designed for children of migrant farmworkers embedded in a 7-week summer Midwest Migrant Education Program (MEP) for changes in: weight; Body Mass Index (BMI); BMI-percentiles (BMI-p); muscle strength and muscle flexibility; nutrition knowledge; attitudes; and behaviors. This is a two-group pre-post quasi-experimental study. Latino children of migrant farmworkers attending summer MEP in grades one through eight were enrolled (n = 171: comparison n = 33, intervention n = 138). Weight, BMI, BMI-p, muscle strength and flexibility, knowledge, and healthy behaviors. Classroom content included: food variety; increasing fruits and vegetables; healthy breakfasts; more family meals; increasing family time; decreasing TV and electronic game time; increasing physical activity; limiting sugar-sweetened drinks; portion sizes; and food labels. Statistically significant were increase in comparison group mean weight, decrease in intervention group BMI-p, and improvements in muscle flexibility and healthy behavior attitudes. The intervention students showed trends toward healthy BMI. The number of MEP days attended was significantly correlated in four outcomes. Study findings have the potential to decrease incidence of unhealthy weight in Latino migrant children, reduce rates of premature adult diseases in these children, and a potential to decrease future health care costs.

A narrative literature review on the health of migrant farm worker children in the USA

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive narrative review of the literature on migrant farm worker child and adolescent health. It highlights current health issues and suggests methods to improve research and clinical practices with this underserved and vulnerable population. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology for this narrative review included a search of articles published between 2000 and 2012. From the primary search, 76 articles met the search criteria. A secondary search revealed three additional articles. Findings – The various methodologies used in the current literature have limited rigorous analysis of the health of pediatric migrant populations. The findings highlight the complex factors that influence migrant pediatric health. Despite the many challenges migrant farm worker children and their families face, they exhibit enormous resilience and strengths that may help counterbalance these challenges. Study categories that emerged from the analysis include health perspectives and behaviors, occupational health, access to care, utilization and satisfaction with health services, health outcomes and health disparities, and oral health. This review provides a strong foundation from which to work toward improving migrant pediatric health. Originality/value – This paper provides an original review of the unique health needs and the complex factors influencing the health of migrant farm worker children and adolescents. This will be of value to clinicians and researchers since migrant farm worker families are part of communities across the country. It offers public health professionals insight into services and programs that can improve the health and well-being of children, families, and communities.

Health Status of Children of Migrant Farm Workers: Farm Worker Family Health Program, Moultrie, Georgia

We evaluated the health status of migrant farmworkers' children served by the Farm Worker Family Health Program (FWFHP) in Moultrie, Georgia. We analyzed data from children aged 0 to 16 years examined through the FWFHP from 2003 to 2011 (n across years = 179-415). We compared their prevalence of overweight, obesity, elevated blood pressure, anemia, and stunting with that of children in the United States and Mexico. Across study years, prevalence of overweight, obesity, elevated blood pressure, anemia, and stunting ranged from 13.5% to 21.8%, 24.0% to 37.4%, 4.1% to 20.2%, 10.1% to 23.9%, and 1% to 6.4%, respectively. Children in the FWFHP had a higher prevalence of obesity than children in all comparison groups, and FWFHP children aged 6 to 12 years had a higher prevalence of elevated blood pressure than all comparison groups. Older FWFHP children had a higher prevalence of anemia than US children and Mexican children. Children in FWFHP had a higher prevalence of stunting than US and Mexican American children. We observed an elevated prevalence of obesity, anemia among older age groups, and stunting in this sample of children of migrant workers.

Parental involvement in language and literacy acquisition: A bilingual journaling approach

This pilot study examined the feasibility of a home–school partnership for improving emergent literacy skills in Spanish-speaking pre-school children of migrant farmworkers. Parents were requested to send labeled drawings of family activities to their children’s classroom for supplementing bilingual language and literacy instruction. Participants were 19 children (between 2;6 and 5;2) assigned randomly to experimental ( n = 11) or control ( n = 8) classrooms. Pretest–posttest measures in Spanish and English were obtained using the Early Literacy Skills Assessment (ELSA). Results indicated significant increases in pre- to posttest English and Spanish scores for the experimental group, but not for the control group in alphabetic and print knowledge. Parental participation rates (as measured by weekly drawing submissions) exceeded 90%. These results suggest that integrating parent-generated content into classroom language intervention activities may be feasible both in terms of parental involvement as well as children’s emergent literacy skills development.

Summer Migrant Students Learn Healthy Choices Through Videography

The purpose of this single-group pre- and posttest intervention pilot study was to teach middle school migrant farmworker children the benefits of healthy eating and activity using a multimedia and ethnic-tailored health curriculum, embedded in a 7-week summer Migrant Education Program. Conceptual frameworks were from transcultural nursing, education, and child development. Student-made video productions enhanced classroom learning and content retention. Outcomes were health infomercials, body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, muscle strength and flexibility, and We Can! and Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) surveys. Sixty-four students were enrolled (girls n = 31, boys n = 33), 96% Latino, and 65% were overweight or obese. Students had significant improvement in 12 knowledge and attitudes measures with significant gender differences in 11 measures. Although not statistically significant, trends toward healthier weight were seen. Five student infomercials were produced. The school environment effectively delivered health promotion to migrant children and will serve as a prototype for middle school health interventions.

Health Disparities in Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Children in Michigan

Health Disparities in Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Children in Michigan

A Case Of Childhood Vaccination Barrier: Migrant And Seasonal Farmworks

The Expanded Program on Immunization has proven to be one of the most effective public health strategies. However, the literature contends that medically disadvantaged groups have been associated with less compliance with vaccination calendars and schedules. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to investigate the vaccination coverage of the children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFs) and to identify their specific barriers to vaccination. Materials and methods: A total of 168 children aged 12-23 months were recruited to the study from a primary healthcare center. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire targeting the issues of infant vaccination status, the reasons for vaccination failure, and sociodemographic data about the children and their families. Results: Childhood vaccination coverage in MSF children was found to be low (49.4%). Significantly, a relationship was found between having a vaccination card and vaccination coverage (P < 0.05). The majority of reasons for a child's vaccination failure as reported by caregivers were related to overall insufficient knowledge of vaccination. Other important reasons for failures in the vaccination of MSF children that were reported by caregivers were neglect and laboring in the agricultural field. Conclusion: Migrant and seasonal farmwork seems to be a barrier in accessing primary healthcare services.

Oral health activities of Early Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs.

Guidelines recommend that Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs (MSHS) address the dental needs of children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. This study describes parent- and child-oriented oral health activities of North Carolina's MSHS programs and compares them with non-migrant Early Head Start (EHS) programs using data collected from a questionnaire completed by teachers and family services staff. Migrant and Seasonal Head Start staff reported engaging in more oral health activities than EHS staff, which was confirmed by results of logit and ordered logit regression models. Despite promising findings about the engagement of MSHS staff, participation in oral health activities is lower than recommended. Differences between EHS and MSHS programs might be due to differing needs of enrolled children and families or to different approaches to meeting the needs of families.

Unique Agricultural Safety and Health Issues of Migrant and Immigrant Children

ABSTRACT Immigrant and migrant youth who live and work in agricultural settings experience unique agricultural safety and health issues. Mobility, poverty, cultural differences, immigration status, language, education, housing, food security, regulatory standards and enforcement, and access to childcare and health care influence exposure risk and the well-being of this population. Approximately 10% of the migrant agricultural labor force is composed of unaccompanied minors, whose safety and health is further compounded by lack of social supports and additional stresses associated with economic independence. This paper examines the current demographic and health data, regulatory protections, and programs and practices addressing safety and health in this sector of youth in agriculture. Gaps in knowledge and practice are identified, with emphasis on data collection and regulatory limitations. Best practices in programs addressing the special needs of this population are highlighted. Recommendations identify seven priority areas for impact to promote transformative change in the agricultural health and safety concerns of unaccompanied minors and children of immigrant, migrant and seasonal farmworkers. This framework may be used to examine similar needs in other identified subpopulations of children as they merit attention, whether now or in the future.