Migrant And Seasonal 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.

Profiles of home language experiences of Spanish-English dual language learners in migrant and seasonal head start programs

Children from migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) families are among the most educationally disadvantaged and underserved groups in the United States; however, they have received limited research attention. Using a large nationally representative sample of MSFW children in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs, this study offered national portraits of MSHS Spanish-English speaking children's language experience profiles in their homes. Preschool-aged Spanish-English dual language learners (DLLs; N = 280) were classified into two distinct profiles: (1) the Bilingual Exposure group (58.9%), comprising DLLs who had Spanish-English exposure from both adults and children, and (2) the Adult-Spanish, Child-Bilingual Exposure group (41.1%), consisting of DLLs who had Spanish-dominant exposure from adults and exposure to both languages from other children. Compared to the Adult-Spanish, Child-Bilingual Exposure group, children in the Bilingual Exposure group were more likely to come from non-immigrant families, had mothers with higher educational levels, and engaged in more home learning activities. When literacy skills were compared, the Adult-Spanish, Child-Bilingual Exposure group presented higher Spanish letter-word identification skills than the Bilingual Exposure group. No group differences were found in English letter-word identification and bilingual auditory comprehension. Our findings suggest the importance of Spanish language experience at home and call for tailoring educational approaches that consider the diverse home experiences of DLLs attending MSHS.

The unique and compensatory effects of home and classroom learning activities on Migrant and Seasonal Head Start children's Spanish and English emergent literacy skills.

Children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) are among the most underprivileged, underserved groups in the United States. The current study examined how home and classroom language and literacy experiences uniquely and interactively contributed to MSFW children's emergent literacy skills in English and Spanish. Participants were 255 Spanish-English dual language learning children (M age = 49 mon; 98.3% Latino/Hispanic) and their parents and 47 teachers, drawn from the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study. Parents reported how often the target children engaged in language and literacy activities (i.e., teaching letters, words, or numbers, book-reading, singing, and storytelling) with their family members. Teachers reported how often the target children engaged in classroom language and literacy activities (e.g., book-reading, learning letters, retelling stories, etc.). Children's emergent literacy skills in English and Spanish were assessed by standard tests. After controlling for demographic variables, home and classroom language and literacy activities uniquely predicted children's emergent literacy skills in Spanish, but not in English. Additionally, home and classroom activities compensated one another in supporting children's English and Spanish emergent literacy development. That is, language and literacy activities in one context showed a stronger effect for children who experienced less frequent activities in the other context. Together, these findings shed light on ways to support MSFW children's emergent literacy skills and reveal the importance of integrating and connecting home and school learning experiences.

Educación in Our Own Terms: Survivance Amongst Latinx Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in K-12 Schools and Beyond

ABSTRACT The author examines how Latinx migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) engaged in survivance, active presence and resistance, in transition from K-12 schools to a High School Equivalency Program (HEP). Ethnographic methods were used to understand the educational experiences of Latinx students from MSFW backgrounds while pursuing a General Educational Development degree (GED) in a Midwest HEP program. Findings illustrate how K-12 schools produced inequities for MSFW students to pursue a GED as a form of survivance. This study reframes the deficit discourse surrounding MSFW’s departure from K-12 schools to one focused on agency and collective survivance.

Health Care Access Brokerage by School Employees for Immigrant Mexican and Indigenous Guatemalan Farmworking Families in a Connecticut Elementary School

It is known that Florida school employees known as Migrant Advocates facilitate or broker MSF health care access for migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSF) families, but it is not known how states without a Migrant Education Program might also broker MSF health care access. To address this, present study examines the role of school employees in brokering health care access to immigrant Mexican and Indigenous Guatemalan MSF families in Connecticut. Informed by prior work, interviews (n = 12) with parents and elementary school employees showed that (1) a vast array of non-Migrant Advocate school employees, mostly Latinx women, directly brokered physical and psychosocial MSF health care access, often through developing deep social relationships and (2) barriers to brokerage included language inaccessibility, school employee gaps in knowledge of MSF health care needs, and transportation and related structural issues. Importantly, the school’s location near MSF homes is an important contributor to the success of the school’s brokerage efforts. Findings offer insight into how a school health broker model might be implemented, and advance understandings of MSF health and health care access.

Innovative Cohort Process to Minimize COVID-19 Infection for Migrant Farmworkers During Travel to Iowa.

Background: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) experience disproportionate infection, severe disease and death from COVID-19. This report describes an innovative process to address the safety of MSFW that utilized cohorting that eventually allowed for safe release to work in the fields on a large family farm in Iowa. Methods: Upon worker departure from Mexico, the employer arranged for bus seat assignments, mask use, and hand hygiene practice during the 3-day trip to Iowa. Upon arrival at the farm, surveillance testing and low-density housing cohorting based upon travel seat assignments allowed for early identification of infected workers and appropriate quarantine as per CDC guidelines. Upon completion of isolation or quarantine as appropriate, workers were released to congregate housing and work in the fields. Findings: Compared to a migrant farmworker COVID-19 outbreak without travel pre-planning, the cohorting process produced a 3.5% positivity rate compared to an earlier season July farmworker group on the same farm with a 12.7% positivity rate. Conclusions/Application to Practice: The success of this model points to the power of collaboration between farm employer, health care providers and workers to minimize worker infection and enable safe work in the fields. Increased state and federal support for MSFW protections could support infrastructure to proactively plan for prevention mechanisms to prevent the spread of known communicable disease. With support in place from the top down, employers, workers, and health care providers will be able to prioritize the management of infectious diseases and the needs of essential workers.

Longitudinal assessment of kidney function in migrant farm workers

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is an epidemic that affects young agricultural workers in several warm regions of the world. However, there is a lack of monitoring of kidney issues in regions with extremely warm environments such as the Northwest of Mexico, a semi-arid region with a growing agricultural industry, where migrant and seasonal farm workers (MSFWs) travel to work in the fields. The objective of this study was to longitudinally assess kidney functioning of MSFWs in relation to pesticide exposure, heat stress and dehydration in a large-scale farm in Mexico. We enrolled 101 MSFWs, of whom 50 were randomly selected to work in an organic certified area and 51 were randomly selected to work in a conventional area. We also enrolled 50 office workers within the same region as a reference group. We collected urine and blood samples from all workers in addition to demographic, behavioral, and occupational characteristics. The physiological strain index (PSI) was used to estimate workers’ heat strain. Sampling was conducted at pre-harvest (March) and late in the harvest (July). Linear mixed models were built with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as the dependent variable. We found a significant decrease in kidney function in MSFWs compared to office workers. By the late harvest, one MSFW developed kidney disease, two MSFWs suffered a kidney injury, and 14 MSFWs were at risk of a kidney injury. We found that the eGFR in MSFWs decreased significantly from pre-harvest (125 ± 13.0 mL/min/1.73 m2) to late harvest (109 ± 13.6 mL/min/1.73 m2) (p < 0.001), while no significant change was observed in office workers. The eGFR was significantly lower in MSFWs who worked in the conventional field (101.2 ± 19.4 mL/min/1.73 m2) vs the organic field (110.9 ± 13.6 mL/min/1.73 m2) (p = 0.002). In our final model, we found that dehydration was associated with the decrease of eGFR. We also found an interaction between heat strain and job category, as a significant decline in eGFR by job category (conventional/organic MSFWs and office workers) was related to an increase in heat strain. This suggests that pesticide exposure needs to be considered in combination with heat stress and dehydration. This study provides valuable information on kidney function in MSFWs, and it shows the importance of early long-term monitoring in farm workers in other regions where CKDu has not been evaluated yet.

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: Cancer Risks, Barriers to Care, and Ways to Overcome Them.

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) encounter numerous and overlapping barriers to healthcare access, including economic, cultural, linguistic, and logistic factors, all of which may contribute to disparities in cancer outcomes. For many MSFWs and their families, healthcare access and continuity are further eroded by their mobility. In addition, MSFWs experience occupational exposures that increase their risk of cancer.

Michigan Farmworker Project: Bridging our understanding of the complex interplay of environmental and occupational exposures with labor exploitation in migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Michigan

Introduction: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) are a highly marginalized population that have historically been exempt from social and labor protections even though agriculture ranks among the most dangerous and lowest-paying occupations in the U.S. Despite the essential role they have in our society, these workers are exposed to a wide range of environmental and occupational exposures, as well as social risk factors such as labor exploitation and labor trafficking.Methods: The Michigan Farmworker Project, a community-based participatory study, assesses the working and living conditions of adult MSFWs. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 34 Latina/o farmworkers (predominantly from Mexico or of Mexican descent) and 21 key stakeholders in various regions of the state of Michigan (Fall 2019). We assessed indicators of labor exploitation, perceptions and awareness of labor exploitation and labor trafficking in the context of environmental and occupational exposures. Results: Our initial analysis suggests that labor exploitation is intrinsically related to the environmental, occupational, and psychosocial factors of the working environment for these workers. Emergent themes indicate that social vulnerability (e.g., being undocumented), excessive and hazardous working conditions, and dehumanization of the workers exacerbate labor exploitation and have an impact on farmworkers’ health. Workers’ awareness and perceptions of labor exploitation and labor trafficking is shaped by the historical vulnerability and marginalization of the social and working conditions of farmworkers. Additional thematic analysis will be completed by August 2020.Conclusions: Findings will allow us to understand what constitute the multiple risk factors related to environmental and occupational health, including “exploitation” and “forced labor”, and will inform actions to facilitate better service provision and health interventions for MSFWs in Michigan. Findings will inform the development of a larger community-based participatory epidemiological study where we can quantify environmental and occupational exposures and connect these exposures to exploitative labor practices in Michigan.

The Impact of Summer Programs on the English Language Scores of Migrant Children

ABSTRACTChildren of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFWs) in the United States face educational challenges from language barriers and disjointed schooling due to migration and other factors. This quasi-experimental pretest/posttest study investigated whether summer Migrant Education Programs (MEP) could help prevent summer learning loss in English proficiency. Kindergarten through fourth-grade Latinx migrant students who attended MEP summer programs in Northwest Ohio were assessed with the IDEA Proficiency Test (n = 246) and the i-Ready Diagnostic (n = 92). Paired samples t-tests analyzed pre/post differences, and ANOVA and ANCOVA analyzed differences in gains between school locations and grade levels. On average, migrant students attending the MEP experienced significant gains in their English speaking and language art scores over the summer. These gains did not differ significantly by grade; however, they did differ by school. Results suggest that these programs may prevent learning loss, even resulting in summer learning gains for some children of MSFWs.

A Pilot Project Assessing Exposure of Livestock Workers in the Southwest U.S. to E.Coli O157:H7 and Salmonella

The livestock industry, like many other agricultural industries in the United States, is dependent on the labor that migrant and seasonal farm workers (MSFW) provide. Infections caused by zoonotic ...

Prevalence and Determinants of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents from Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Families in the United States-A Systematic Review and Qualitative Assessment.

Overweight and obesity (OW/OB) is a pressing health concern among migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) families in the US. The limited number of previously reported research on MSFW families suggests that their unique sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle predispose them to poor health outcomes including OW/OB. We aimed to synthesize and assess available data on the prevalence and modifiable health determinants of OW/OB in MSFW children and adolescents. Literature search, study selection, data extraction and synthesis, and qualitative assessment of selected studies were performed independently by two authors. Ten cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria: articles or dissertations investigating prevalence and association between health determinants and OW/OB in MSFW children and adolescents (<20 years) in the US. The prevalence of OW, OB, and OW/OB ranged from 10%–33%, 15%–37%, and 31%–73%, respectively. Children’s education, household food insecurity, parents’ weight status, parents’ distorted perception of their children’s weight status, and parents’ participation in the federal nutrition assistance program were significantly associated with the children’s and adolescents’ risk of OW/OB. Promotion of culturally relevant public health programs and implementation of a systematic health surveillance plan for MSFWs and their children should be emphasized to combat OW/OB among MSFW children and adolescents.

Methodological concerns related to response bias in migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

The original objective was to measure the impact of kneepads on musculoskeletal pain in migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs). Secondary analyses were conducted to quantify the extent to which response bias may have skewed the study's results. Surveys were used to collect data on baseline pain and post-intervention pain, the amount of time participants spent wearing kneepads, and their overall ratings of the intervention. Participants did not experience significantly less pain with kneepads, and wore them for considerably less than the prescribed amount of time. However, subjects rated them very favorably. Given the strong suspicion of response bias, no firm conclusions could be drawn regarding the intervention. Unique survey methodologies must be used with MSFWs, who tend to have low research literacy and are particularly susceptible to response bias. Objective study outcomes are particularly favorable in this population in order to minimize dependence on self-reported measures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:1112-1119, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Access to and Disparities in Care among Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) at U.S. Health Centers.

This study describes the characteristics of migrant and seasonal farm workers (MSFWs) served by federally-funded health centers and examines disparities in access to primary and preventive care between migrant health center (MHC) and community health center (CHC) program patients. Cross-sectional analysis of the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey which has 2212 and 831 patients from CHC and MHC program patients, respectively. Our study showed that the MHC program provided comparable health care access and quality for MSFWs relative to CHC patients. However, there were challenges with access to primary care, such as getting timely medical and dental care and prescription medicine. These results affirmed the role of health centers in providing high-quality primary care and reducing disparities. However, continual efforts are needed to enhance access to and quality of care for MSFWs.

The Feasibility of Using Electronic Health Records to Describe Demographic and Clinical Indicators of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

ABSTRACTFew extensive, national clinical databases exist on the health of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs). Electronic health records (EHRs) are increasingly utilized by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and have the potential to improve clinical care and complement current surveillance and epidemiologic studies of underserved working populations, such as MSFWs. The aim of this feasibility study was to describe the demographics and baseline clinical indicators of patients at an FQHC by MSFW status. The authors described 2012 patient demographics, social history, medical indicators, and diagnoses by MSFW status from the de-identified EHR database of a large, multisite Colorado Migrant Health Center (MHC). Included in the study were 41,817 patients from 2012: 553 (1.3%) MSFWs, 20,665 (49.4%) non-MSFWs, and 20,599 (49.3%) who had no information in the MSFW field. MSFWs were more often male, married, employed, Hispanic, and Spanish-speaking compared with non-MSFWs. The most frequent diagnoses for all patients were hypertension, overweight/obesity, lipid disorder, type 2 diabetes, or a back disorder. Although there were significant missing values, this feasibility study was able to analyze medical data in a timely manner and show that Meaningful Use requirements can improve the usability of EHR data for epidemiologic research of MSFWs and other patients at FQHCs. The results of this study were consistent with current literature available for MSFWs. By reaching this vulnerable working population, EHRs may be a key data source for occupational injury and illness surveillance and research.

Food Deserts and Migrant Farmworkers: Assessing Food Access in Oregon's Willamette Valley

Food insecurity, often correlated with “food deserts,” affects migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) at greater rates than other populations. Our research evaluates the food desert experiences of MSFW communities in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Through GIS mapping, interviews with MSFW, and food retailer inventories, our research helps elucidate the degree to which the geographical distribution of food retailers and the products they carry affects MSFW. Access to food retailers was assessed for distances of 0.25, 1.5, 5, and 10 miles. Mapping locations of registered MSFW labor camps (n = 62) and food retailers (n = 215) in the Willamette Valley revealed access to a food retailer within 0.25 mile for one labor camp and 1.5 miles for 46% of camps. All MSFW camps had access to a food retailer within 5 miles. Our research further suggests that using distance alone to determine food deserts may be deceptive as these numbers do not show the types of food retailers and challenges that MSFW in rural labor camps, who often lack access to personal vehicles and public transit, encounter when shopping for nutritionally and culturally appropriate foods. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the Willamette Valley experience significant physical and economic barriers to food access, especially culturally appropriate foods.

Liquid consumption, but not pesticide exposure, was a determinant of diabetes in migrant and seasonal farmworker women in Michigan (806.2)

The prevalence of diabetes in Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) is even higher than that in Hispanics in the US. We assessed if consumption of beverages (choices and amount) and training on pesticide (a proxy of pesticide exposure) are associated with the risk of diabetes in MSFW women in MI. Healthy Families=Healthy Babies projects were conducted with 251 women between May‐October, 2012. After incomplete responses were removed, the final sample size included 155 women with a mean age of 28y (7.0, SD). Unadjusted and age‐adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the association between beverages consumption, pesticide training and the risk of diabetes. Twenty two (14%) MSFW women reported having diabetes. MSFW women who consumed 1‐2 glasses of alcohols/day had higher risk of diabetes (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 4.7 [95% CI=1.2‐18.3], p=0.03; age‐adjusted OR 5.8 [95% CI=1.4‐24.6], p=0.02). Water, coffee, and milk consumption and training of pesticide were not associated with the risk of diabetes. In conclusion, alcohol consumption was associated with the risk of diabetes in MSFW women. Healthy Families=Healthy Babies projects allowed researchers to study nutritional health and health risks in the hard‐to‐reach MSFW women and underscores the importance of nutrition education in relation to diabetes. Potential longitudinal evaluation of risk factors beyond beverage consumption for the risk of diabetes needs to be explored in future research.Grant Funding Source: Telamon Corporation/March of Dimes

Stress, depression and coping among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Research shows that one in four migrant farmworkers experienced an episode of one or more mental health disorders such as stress, depression, or anxiety in their lifetime. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore experiences and perceptions related to stress and depression among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs), and to identify their coping behaviors for dealing with these mental health conditions. Using a mixed methods research approach, three focus group interviews of a sample of Latino MSFWs (N = 29) were conducted and a quantitative survey was implemented (N = 57) at community sites in eastern North Carolina. Four major themes emerged from the focus group data: (1) physical stress related to working conditions; (2) mental stress related to family situations, work environment, documentation status, and lack of resources; (3) depression related to separation from family and the lack of resources; and (4) use of positive and negative mechanisms for coping with stress and depression. A discussion of these themes, results from the survey findings, implications for intervention and outreach programs, along with recommendations for further research, are provided.

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.

Delivery of Mobile Clinic Services to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: A Review of Practice Models for Community-Academic Partnerships

Farmworkers in the US are a medically underserved group, who are largely uninsured, foreign-born, and working in a hazardous industry. This review addresses the challenges of providing health services for this priority population to study the numerous health access barriers that face migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW), evaluates the services provided at mobile clinics, summarizes practice models for community-academic partnerships, and synthesizes the literature on effective partnership approaches to deliver these services. Because MSFW are a difficult group to reach and access, mobile farmworker clinics provide an opportunity for unique student training experiences, in addition to small survey and feasibility studies. A literature search was conducted to identify articles for the review. Out of 196 articles identified by the article databases and manual search techniques, 18 articles were finally selected for the review based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Half of the articles were classified as case studies or descriptive studies with lessons learned. Only three articles were classified as research studies, and six articles were not classified as research studies, but rather descriptions of the clinics only. Many of the partnership models were structured with the lead agency as either the academic partner or an Area Health Education Center. The academic partner was usually a nursing school, and less frequently a medical school. Other service partners frequently mentioned were federally-qualified Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, and health departments. The review found that service partnerships were characterized by collaboration between academic institutions and community organizations, with a lead agency driving sustainability efforts.