Work Safety Culture of Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina

Understanding Latinx Child Farmworkers' Reasons for Working: A Mixed Methods Approach

Agricultural labor is extremely hazardous, yet young children are legally permitted to work on farms. This paper contextualizes and describes Latinx hired child farmworkers’ stated reasons for working. We conducted a mixed-methods study using in-depth interviews ( n = 30) and survey interviews ( n = 202) with Latinx child farmworkers aged 10 to 17 in North Carolina. Our qualitative thematic analysis identified children’s salient reasons for working, including supporting family, contextual factors that lead to farm work, and occupying summer time. Statistical analysis showed that children’s primary reasons for working included buying clothes (91.1%) and school supplies (64.7%), with few differences by gender, age, or other characteristics. The findings demonstrate that most Latinx children view farm work as a necessary but temporary experience that financially supports their families. We discuss the implications for protecting Latinx child workers by reducing their structural vulnerability in order to facilitate healthy development.

Latino Migrant Farmworker Youths' Perceptions of Access to Care in the Southeast: A Qualitative Approach

This study explored Latino Migrant Farmworker (LMFW) youths' perceptions regarding access to health care in the United States (U.S.). Twenty semi-structured audio-voice recorded interviews were conducted with LMFW youths (aged 15-20 years old) in Georgia and Florida. Thematic analysis was used to explore whether, and how, LMFW youths would seek health care in the U.S. as well as their personal views toward health care. Five distinct perceptions regarding accessing health care were delineated: (1) cultural-related views and attitudes toward health care, (2) transportation dependency, (3) English language as a barrier for communication, (4) lack of knowledge of available resources, and (5) embracing the obligation, and the necessity, of work. Some of LMFW youths' perceptions of seeking access to health care in the U.S. point to barriers related to social determinants of health. These barriers suggest the need for significant reform within the U.S. health care system to include farmworker youths' health needs and to promote cultural responsiveness among clinicians and rural health providers to better serve this vulnerable population.

Outcomes of farm compared to nonfarm pediatric injuries: A propensity-matched analysis

OBJECTIVES

Pediatric farm-related injuries are rare but tend to be severe relative to other types of pediatric injury and may result in worse clinical outcomes. However, the comparison of farm and nonfarm injuries is confounded by different injury mechanisms, patient characteristics, and treating facilities. Therefore, we used propensity score matching to compare outcomes of pediatric farm and nonfarm injuries in the United States.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the 2017-2019 Trauma Quality Program database. Farm as compared to nonfarm injury was defined as the location of an injury and served as the independent variable analyzed in this study. The outcome variables analyzed were in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).

RESULTS

We identified 2,040 farm injuries and 201,865 nonfarm injuries meeting inclusion criteria. In this cohort, the mortality rate was 1%, median LOS was 2 days, and 14% of patients were admitted to the ICU. In the propensity-matched analysis (including 2,039 farm cases matched to 2,039 nonfarm controls), farm as compared to nonfarm injuries were associated with 5% longer LOS (95% CI: 1%, 8%; P = .01), but not mortality or ICU admission.

CONCLUSIONS

In a propensity-matched analysis, pediatric farm injuries resulted in prolonged hospital stay compared to nonfarm injuries. Identifying patient- and health care system-level factors contributing to prolonged LOS may help optimize the care of children injured on farms.

The Abysmal Organization of Work and Work Safety Culture Experienced by North Carolina Latinx Women in Farmworker Families

The occupational health of immigrant workers in the United States is a major concern. This analysis describes two domains, organization of work and work safety culture, important to the occupational health of Latinx women in farmworker families. Sixty-seven Latinx women in North Carolina farmworker families completed a baseline and five follow-up questionnaires in 2019 through 2021. Fifty-nine of the women were employed in the year prior to the Follow-Up 5 Questionnaire. These women experienced an abysmal organization of work and work safety culture. They experienced significant job churn, with most changing employment several times during the 18-month period. Most of their jobs were seasonal, paid less than $10.00 per hour, piece-rate, and almost all without benefits. The women's jobs had little skill variety (mean 1.5) or decision latitude (mean 1.1), but had high psychological demands (mean 2.0). Work safety climate was very low (mean 13.7), with 76.3% of women noting that their supervisors were "only interested in doing the job fast and cheaply" rather than safely. Women employed as farmworkers versus those in other jobs had few differences. Further research and intervention are needed on the organization of work and work safety culture of Latinx women manual workers.

Self-Reported Physical Demands Associated With Crops and Job Tasks Among Latinx Hired Child Farmworkers

OBJECTIVE

Physical demands of work performed by Latinx hired child farmworkers are poorly understood. This paper describes crops, tasks performed, and the most common dimensions of physical demands of work in this population.

METHODS

Survey interviews were conducted in 2017 with 202 Latinx children aged 10 to 17 years employed on North Carolina farms. Analysis focused on job characteristics for the past week and included factor analysis of an 18-item questionnaire on physical work demands.

RESULTS

The most common crops and tasks reported were topping/suckering tobacco and picking sweet potatoes or berries. Three factors (awkward postures, repetitive motion, strenuous work) accounted for 53% of the variance in physical demands.

CONCLUSIONS

Follow-up of hired child farmworkers should be undertaken to understand the long-term effects of physical work demands on their health.

Work-related injuries among Syrian refugee child workers in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon: A gender-sensitive analysis

Background

Syrian refugees in Lebanon have endured increasing hardships since the onset of the Syrian war in 2011, with many resorting to child labor. Working refugee children endure socioeconomic deprivation and harsh working conditions. This study explores the relationship between working conditions and the reporting of injuries among male and female Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and the related gender differences.

Methods and findings

A cross-sectional survey of Syrian refugee children working in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon was conducted in 2017. Face-to-face interviews with children (8 to 18 years) collected sociodemographic information and testimonies of their work experiences. Logistic regression tested the association between reporting of injuries and risk factors including school enrolment, field of work, means of transportation to work, age started working, number of working hours, multiple jobs, work pressure and hazards, and abuse. Analyses were stratified by gender.

Of the 4090 surveyed working children, the majority reported working in agriculture (75.8%). Around a third (31.4%) reported being injured at work with a higher proportion in males. The most common reported injuries were cuts and wounds (44.9%), with males showing a higher proportion for all types of injuries compared to females. Nearly one fifth of reported injuries (19.8%) required medical attention in a hospital, with males reporting higher proportions than females for most types of injuries. The study findings revealed the association of multiple risk factors with an increased odds of reporting an injury, which included working in more than one job (AOR, 1.71; CI, 1.20–2.43; p = 0.003), working under pressure (AOR, 1.64; CI, 1.36–1.97; p<0.001), the use of sharp or heavy objects (AOR, 1.88; CI, 1.58–2.24; p<0.001), and experiencing physical abuse at work (AOR, 2.46; CI, 1.97–3.08; p<0.001). The odds of reporting an injury increased with every additional hour of work per day (AOR 1.08; CI, 1.02–1.14; p = 0.006). Most of these findings persisted in the male and female stratified models, with few exceptions. Males who went to work in a pickup truck had significantly lower odds of being injured than those who walked (AOR, 0.65; CI, 0.51–0.83; p = 0.001); this finding did not reach significance for females. Having longer work hours per day was significantly linked to higher odds of injury for females (AOR, 1.07; CI, 1.02–1.12; p = 0.008); but not for males. The main limitations of this study were its cross-sectional design and the use of self-reported variables.

Conclusions

This study is the first to obtain direct testimony on work-related injuries and working conditions, exploring gender differences, among Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Results demonstrated the association between the occurrence of injury and multiple risk factors highlighting their strenuous working conditions, with some differences detected between males and females. Many injuries can be prevented through direct safety interventions and proper implementation of child labor policies. Multidimensional interventions are essential to address the complex evolving challenges facing refugees.

Menstrual Cycle Patterns and Irregularities in Hired Latinx Child Farmworkers

PURPOSE

This study identifies the menstrual cycle irregularities of Latinx child and adolescent farmworkers.

METHODS

Child and adolescent farmworkers aged 13 to 20 years completed questionnaires about menstrual cycle patterns in 2019, and wore silicone passive collection wristbands for pesticide detection in 2018. Menstrual cycle irregularities were determined from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists committee opinion.

RESULTS

Half of participants experienced any menstrual cycle irregularity; the most frequent irregularities were cycle length (38.6%) and having gone 90 days or more without a menstrual period (20.4%). Pesticides were detected in 92.9% of the wristbands; most participants were exposed to an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) pesticide.

CONCLUSION

Half of Latinx children and adolescents hired farmworkers experience irregular menstrual cycles, and most are exposed to EDCs. Inclusion of occupational and menstrual histories in child and adolescent medical visits is critical.

Structural Vulnerability and Occupational Injury Among Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina

Children as young as ten-years-old can legally work as hired farm labor in the United States. In North Carolina, many hired children are part of the Latinx farmworker community. Agriculture is a hazardous industry, and child workers experience high rates of injury, illness, and mortality. As part of a community-based participatory research study, we draw from thirty in-depth interviews with Latinx child farmworkers aged ten to seventeen to describe their experiences of personal and observed workplace injury and close calls. Nearly all child workers had experienced or observed some form of injury, with several reporting close calls that could have resulted in severe injury or fatality. Overall, children reported a reactive approach to injury prevention and normalized pain as part of the job. Highlighting Latinx child farmworkers' structural "vulnerability, this analysis contextualizes understanding of workplace injury among this largely hidden population. We offer policy recommendations to protect and support these vulnerable workers.

Pesticide exposure among Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina

BACKGROUND

Although pesticides have adverse effects on child health and development, little research has examined pesticide exposure among child farmworkers. This analysis addresses two specific aims: (1) describes pesticide exposure among Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina, and (2) delineates factors associated with this pesticide exposure.

METHODS

In 2018 (n = 173) and 2019 (n = 156) Latinx child farmworkers completed interviews and wore silicone wristbands for a single day to measure pesticide exposure. Wristbands were analyzed for 70 pesticides.

RESULTS

Most Latinx child farmworkers were exposed to multiple pesticides; the most frequent were pyrethroids (69.9% in 2018, 67.9% in 2019), organochlorines (51.4% in 2018, 55.1% in 2019), and organophosphates (51.4% in 2018, 34.0% in 2019). Children were exposed to a mean of 2.15 pesticide classes in 2018 and 1.91 in 2019, and to a mean of 4.06 pesticides in 2018 and 3.34 in 2019. Younger children (≤15 years) had more detections than older children; children not currently engaged in farm work had more detections than children currently engaged in farm work. Migrant child farmworkers had more detections than nonmigrants. For specific pesticides with at least 20 detections, detections and concentrations were generally greater among children not currently engaged in farm work than children currently engaged.

CONCLUSIONS

Children who live in farmworker communities are exposed to a plethora of pesticides. Although further research is needed to document the extent of pesticide exposure and its health consequences, sufficient information is available to inform the policy needed to eliminate this pesticide exposure in agricultural communities.

NOSACQ-50 for Safety Climate Assessment in Agricultural Activities: A Case Study in Central Italy

Safety climate assessment has been recognized as a powerful tool to bring to light workers' perceptions related to safety practices, attitudes and behaviors at the workplace. Accordingly, its investigation can provide useful information about safety problems within a company before accidents occur. In literature, numerous studies can be found investigating safety climates in different types of industry. However, safety climate assessment in agricultural activities is addressed scarcely, even though agriculture represents a very hazardous sector. To reduce this gap, the present study proposes an investigation of safety climate among farmers by means of the Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50). The results of the survey brought to light a low level of safety perception of the interviewed sample, especially as concerns safety commitment and risk-taking attitudes. In particular, a different attitude toward safety issues has been registered depending on both the position and gender of the interviewed farmers. Overall, the output of this cross-sectional analysis adds to the current literature by expanding knowledge of safety climate among farmers, representing a baseline for further investigations based on human-centered approaches to enhance safety in agriculture and consequently social and workplace aspects of sustainable agricultural systems.