Robin Rager, PhD¹, Eva Doyle, PhD², and Denise Bates, PhD¹. (1) Department of Health Studies, Texas Woman's University, P.O. Box 425499, Denton, TX 76204, 940-898-2863, rrager@twu.edu, (2) Dept. of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, Baylor University, P. O. Box 97313, Waco, TX 76798

Of the more than 3 million migrant and seasonal workers are employed in farming and other agriculture-related industries throughout the United States, many work and live in isolated and unsanitary conditions, with exposure to a variety of environmental hazards, placing them at increased risk for health problems. At the same time, a substantial portion of these workers and their families have little or no health insurance, and have limited access to health services for treatment of their injuries and illnesses. Without regular health screenings and checkups, opportunities for effective disease management among this at-risk population are also thwarted. Unfortunately, few studies have been done to document the health-related problems and practices of this at-risk population. To explore these issues, the researchers conducted a pilot-study to assess the use of conventional medical care, traditional medicine, and self-care practices of 272 migrant and seasonal farmworkers located in east Texas, using an interview survey instrument developed and validated for this special population. The results of the study indicated that, faced with barriers of access and cost, along with language and cultural issues, many of the workers and their families turned to traditional medicine or self-treatment, or elected to have no treatment at all. In this session, the findings of this assessment will be presented, along with implications and recommendations related to the delivery of community health services and the implementation of prevention strategies for this underserved population.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participants will be able to

• describe the unique research methods used to collect assessment data from the hard-to-reach migrant and seasonal farmworker population;
• characterize their use of conventional and traditional health care practices; and
• identify potential health care delivery approaches and prevention strategies to address their health needs.

Keywords: Community-Based Health Care, Migrant Workers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.