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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Andrew D. Tanner, MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health, Drexel University School of Public Health, 245 N. 15th Street, Mail Stop 660, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1192, 610.517.2826, adt34@drexel.edu, Louise Ward, PhD CRNP, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, 1505 Race St., Mail Stop 501, Philadelphia, PA 19102, and Curtis E. Cummings, MD, MPH, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Drexel University School of Public Health, Mail Stop 660, 245 North 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1192.

Background: Farmworkers are an essential part of the workforce that delivers agricultural products to market and ultimately our tables. The physical and mental health of the farmworker is at risk when leaving home and family to work in the US agricultural economy. Methods: This study explores data collected during a pilot study using the SF36v2 (Spanish), the Healthy Days (HD) core module, and the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MFWSI). The sample population comprised farmworkers in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland area. The participants were surveyed one on one after hours in common areas of labor camps or houses. SPSS v14 was used to set up the data, analyze descriptive statistics, describe correlations between the several instruments, and investigate relationships between a variety of predictors for health and wellbeing. The BRFSS data for Hispanics from the same geographic area was used as a comparison. Results: Demographics indicated that 73% of our farmworkers had completed no more than 8th grade as compared with only 14% of the BRFSS population. The reliability for the SF36v2 and the MFWSI were high. Preliminary analysis indicates that Pearson correlations between the SF36v2, the HD and the MFWSI showed a two tailed significance of at least .05 in most areas. Discussion/ Conclusion: Our results indicate internal reliability, as well as meaningful relationships among the three instruments. This research provides direction for developing future research questions, interventions and policy initiatives which may improve the health and stress of farmworkers.

Learning Objectives: As a result of this poster participants will be able to

• List three risks farmworkers face in their occupation.
• Discuss several surveys to collect health related quality of life and stress information.
• Identify ways that reliable data can inform activities to improve farmworker health.

Keywords: Surveillance, Latino Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered