Occupational Stressors and Access to COVID-19 Resources among Commuting and Residential Hispanic/Latino Farmworkers in a US-Mexico Border Region

Social Vulnerabilities Among Hired Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers During COVID-19: The Need for Employment-Based Indicators

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore farmworkers' experiences of social vulnerability during the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Telephone surveys of 63 migrant and seasonal farmworkers across three major agricultural areas in Florida were conducted. The survey, designed and disseminated with critical support from a statewide farmworker membership and advocacy organization, included items related to social and occupational precarity and a suite of demographic conditions, including specific employment-based indicators and categories. Data were analyzed with SPSS using a series of statistical significance tests including Pearson's Chi-Square, Fisher's Exact, T-tests, and Mann-Whitney U. An open-ended question regarding employment precarity was also analyzed for frequencies of responses pertaining to a set of descriptive categories.

RESULTS

Survey findings demonstrated a high degree of social vulnerability among the farmworker sample, with notable variation in the type and severity of vulnerability and risk exposure across employment-based indicators and occupational categories. For example, a cross-industry comparison between vegetable field workers and greenhouse nursery workers revealed a disparity in COVID-exposure risk through commuting characteristics, as 43% of vegetable field workers used shared, employer-provided transport, while 68% of nursery workers used personal vehicles.

CONCLUSION

While previous research has broadly established the extreme precarity of migrant and seasonal farmworkers during the peak COVID-19 period, the variability of experience, exposure to risk, and social vulnerability between farmworkers representing distinct employment-based indicators and occupational categories demonstrated in this study contributes to widening awareness of the importance of assessing farmworker experiences at a more granular level. In addition to delineating social vulnerability across key demographic categories, cross-industry comparisons between farmworkers revealed significant discrepancies in risk and vulnerability to COVID-19. Future research that further explores this variability may reveal opportunities to improve disaster-relief planning and mitigate social vulnerability in future disaster scenarios. The importance of surveying the vulnerability of worker populations, aside from geographic communities, is highlighted.

Depression, Anxiety, and Coping Strategies Among Farmworkers Exposed to Substance Use at Work

OBJECTIVE

Migrant farmworkers are at an increased risk of experiencing high levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and problematic substance use. Farmworker behavioral health is a predominant concern for agricultural health and safety efforts. While substance use has been found to be a visible part of the work environment among farming populations, there is scarce information about how farmworkers who are exposed to substance use at work are impacted.

METHODS

This exploratory assessment investigated the association between substance use exposure at work and migrant farmworkers' (N = 58) symptoms of depression, anxiety, and coping strategies used. Univariate, bivariate, and regression analyses were conducted to examine data from a survey administered to migrant farmworkers in Southern California's Riverside and Imperial Valley counties.

RESULTS

Exposure to substance use at work was significantly associated with farmworkers reporting more severe symptoms of anxiety (p = .018). We also found that anxiety among farmworkers was significantly related to their experiences of sexual harassment (p = .026), being called names or insulted (p = .05), feeling unsafe (p = .005), having an increased work burden (p = .001), and caring for a colleague (p = .001). Furthermore, as exposure to substance use at work increased, farmworkers reported more severe symptoms of depression (F (1,45) = 7.90, p = .007) and anxiety (F (1,45) = 16.743, p = .001). To cope, the farmworkers in our sample reported using emotion-focused coping strategies most often.

CONCLUSIONS

Substance use exposure at work can affect migrant farmworker health and safety. Addressing and supporting the behavioral health of the entire farming community is warranted.

A Scoping Review on the Impact of COVID 19 on Vulnerable Populations: LGBTQ+ Persons, Persons Experiencing Homelessness, and Migrant Farm Workers in the US

Purpose

The goal of the National Center for Medical Education Development and Research Center (NCMEDR) is to support the education and training of medical students in the care of vulnerable populations. Access to primary care services in the US is fundamental to the health and wellness of all people regardless of their socioeconomic status. LGBQ+ persons, (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority), Persons Experiencing Homelessness (PEH), and Migrant Farm Workers (MFW) are among the most underserved, marginalized, and socially vulnerable groups in the US. NCMEDR in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College was established in part, with funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). NCMEDR was developed to provide educational pathways for transforming medical education and clinical practice in the US by ascertaining whether medical students were being trained to provide primary care, and behavioral health services to LGBTQ+ persons, PEH, and MFW. Here we focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these specific populations because they represent marginalized groups that have been heavily impacted by the pandemic, have poor social determinants of health (SDOH), and are more likely to be uninsured, and are less likely to engage primary care providers outside of emergency room care.

Methods

In this study, a scoping literature review was conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 on primary care of LQBTQ+ persons, PEH, and MFW.

Results and Discussion

The pandemic provided a serious health disparities gap for the defined vulnerable populations under review by the NCMEDR. The pandemic identified the need for transformative measures for clinical practices, medical education, and health care policies required for implementation to improve health care for vulnerable groups. We make recommendations for interventions with defined populations that may influence clinical, environmental health, and SDOH in the COVID era.

Conclusions

The COVID pandemic directed the need for medical schools, health care and social organizations to intervene in new and different ways in vulnerable and marginalized communities. The recommendations provide a model for advancing health equity, access, quality, utilization, care coordination, and treatment.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Black and Hispanic Americans' Work Outcomes: a Scoping Review

In early 2020, it was hypothesized that COVID-19 would lead to disproportionately negative health and work outcomes for Black and Hispanic adults, but sufficient data had yet been collected to fully support this claim. Now, we have empirical evidence, but little has been done to aggregate this information to fully understand its impact on these communities. Utilizing 44 articles from a scoping review of three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Business Source Complete), this study seeks to identify the primary work-related risks that help explain Black and Hispanic adults' disparate COVID-19-related work outcomes (e.g., loss of hours, job disruption, stress). Findings illuminate four primary risks faced by Black and Hispanic workers: (1) being an essential worker, (2) type of work performed, (3) workplace factors; and (4) community and geographic factors. We conclude with policy recommendations that will help inform policy and practice for economic recovery from the pandemic for other marginalized populations.

Pre and During COVID-19 Access to Rural Mental Health Care Among Agriculture Communities in the Rocky Mountain Region

Death by suicide is the second leading cause of intentional injury incurred by foreign-born workers in the United States. Hispanic/Latino farmworkers are systematically excluded from important safety net programs. Drawing on interviews with 16 individuals representing various community organizations serving rural, agriculture-dependent regions in Colorado (n=9) and Utah (n=7), we describe Hispanic/Latino farmworkers' access to the mental health safety net in the Rocky Mountain Region post/during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings inform the need for expanded safety net infrastructure and community collaborations to support farmworkers effectively now and in the case of future pandemics.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in avocado farmworkers from Mexico

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected farmworkers in the United States and Europe, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the specific impact of the pandemic on agriculture and food production workers in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and assess the mental health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among avocado farmworkers in Michoacan, Mexico.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of adult farmworkers (n = 395) in May 2021. We collected survey data, nasal swabs and saliva samples for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection, and blood samples for immunoglobulin G (IgG) reactivity measurements.

Results

None of the farmworkers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. However, among unvaccinated farmworkers (n = 336, 85%), approximately one-third (33%) showed evidence of past infection (positive for IgG against SARS-CoV-2). Unvaccinated farmworkers who lived with other farmworkers (aRR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.05), had ever lived with someone with COVID-19 (aRR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.43), and who had diabetes (aRR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.53, 2.85) had a higher risk of testing IgG-positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. In contrast, unvaccinated farmworkers living in more rural areas (outside of Tingambato or Uruapan) (aRR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.96) or cooking with wood-burning stove (aRR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.96) had a lower risk of IgG-positivity. Moreover, 66% of farmworkers reported a negative impact of the pandemic on their lives, 29% reported experiencing food insecurity and difficulty paying bills, and 10% reported depression or anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the mental health and financial well-being of avocado farmworkers. Consequently, the implementation of interventions and prevention efforts, such as providing mental health support and food assistance services, is imperative.

"We left the crop there lying in the field": Agricultural worker experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural US-Mexico border region

California agricultural workers are predominately Latino/a, are medically underserved, and reside in larger households, placing them at elevated COVID-19 risk at work and at home. While some research has examined COVID-19 among agricultural workers in the interior of the United States, little research exists on experiences of COVID-19 along the US-Mexico border. Grounded in resilience thinking, this study aims to understand how agricultural workers navigated their heightened risk to COVID-19 at work and at home, and made use of available resources in the context of a bi-national community. Our study utilized qualitative interviews with 12 agricultural workers to understanding the COVID-19 experiences of resident and daily migrant agricultural workers in Imperial County, California, located along the US-Mexico border. Findings suggest that agricultural workers faced significant impacts and risks at work (work stoppages, stress about bringing COVID-19 home to family) and at home (contracting COVID-19, loss of friends and family, and mental health challenges). Agricultural workers and their employers often implemented COVID-19 precautions such as social distancing measures, personal protective equipment, hand washing and hand sanitizers, and isolation. Many agricultural workers did access testing resources on either side of the US-Mexico border and worked with US-based Spanish-speaking community-based organizations to register for vaccine appointments. To better support agricultural workers and their employers in the future, we recommend the following: 1. Prioritize agricultural workplace conditions to increase agricultural worker physical and mental health, 2. Extend public health services into agricultural work sites of transit and the workplace, and 3. Lastly, trusted Spanish-speaking community-based organizations can play a critical role in public health outreach.

Work-Life Stress during the Coronavirus Pandemic among Latina Farmworkers in a Rural California Region

Objectives: To examine the type and severity of stressors experienced among Latina farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A survey containing the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory was administered to 77 female-identifying Latina farmworkers working in a US–Mexico border region. A sub-sample of five participants participated in key-informant interviews. Data collection occurred in Summer 2021. Results: Nearly 40% of Latina farmworkers reported high stress levels indicative of clinical mental health risks. Health and safety concerns and experienced stressors identified included visible substance abuse and poor bathroom conditions at the field site, language barriers, and balancing work and home life demands. Conclusions: Latina farmworkers have unique health and safety needs, and COVID-19 has contributed to the experienced stressors. Understanding the familial and working environment sources of stress specific to female agriculture workers is imperative to implementing culturally and gender-responsive strategies to better support the health and safety of farming populations in future pandemics.