Factors Associated with Depression Among Immigrants in the U.S

Depressive Symptoms of Latinx Women in Rural Farmworker and Urban Non-Farmworker Families in North Carolina

BACKGROUND

Mental health among low-income Latinx women in the United States (US), including those in farmworker families, is a health equity concern. This analysis (1) describes the depressive symptoms among Latinx women in rural farmworker families and urban non-farmworker families and (2) delineates immigration and acculturation, family composition and disruption, and financial characteristics associated with depressive symptoms experienced by these women.

METHODS

Data are from a 2019-2020 cross-sectional survey of 66 rural farmworker and 52 urban non-farmworker women with a child participating in a study of pesticide exposure and neurocognitive development. Depressive symptoms were measured with the CES-D Short Form.

RESULTS

The median (25th-75th percentiles) depressive symptom score reported was 2.0 (1.0-4.0), with 10 (8.5%) women having depressive symptom scores of 10 or greater. In bivariate analysis, among immigration and acculturation characteristics, women born in the USA and who spoke English fluently had lower depressive symptom scores. Among family composition and disruption characteristics, married women, and those with two adults in the household had lower depressive symptom scores. No financial status characteristic had statistically significant associations with depressive symptom score. In multivariate analysis, rural farmworker women had an expected median score one point lower than did urban non-farmworker women.

CONCLUSION

Addressing mental health among immigrant women, particularly those in farmworker families, is a complex undertaking. Rural versus urban locality provides a context for mental health. Determining the proximal determinants of locality requires further analysis.

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.