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Health and Occupational Injury Experienced by Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina, USA

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas A. Arcury

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

  • Taylor J. Arnold

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

  • Sara A. Quandt

    (Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

  • Haiying Chen

    (Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

  • Gregory D. Kearney

    (Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA)

  • Joanne C. Sandberg

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

  • Jennifer W. Talton

    (Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

  • Melinda F. Wiggins

    (Student Action with Farmworkers, Durham, NC 27705, USA)

  • Stephanie S. Daniel

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA)

Abstract

Children as young as 10 years old are hired to work on farms in the United States (U.S.). These children are largely Latinx. Using interview data collected from 202 North Carolina Latinx child farmworkers in 2017, this analysis documents the heath characteristics and occupational injuries of Latinx child farmworkers and delineates characteristics associated with their health and occupational injuries. Latinx child farmworkers include girls (37.6%) and boys (62.4%), aged 10 to 17 years, with 17.8% being migrant farmworkers. Three-quarters reported receiving medical and dental care in the past year. Respiratory (15.8%) and vision (20.3%) problems were prevalent. Girls more than boys, and younger more than older children had greater health service utilization. Occupational injuries were common, with 26.2% reporting a traumatic injury, 44.1% a dermatological injury, 42.6% a musculoskeletal injury, and 45.5% heat-related illness in the past year. Age increased the odds of reporting work injuries and heat-related illness, and being a non-migrant reduced the odds of reporting work injuries. These results emphasize the need for greater documentation of child farmworker occupational health and safety. They underscore the need to change occupational safety policy to ensure that children working in agriculture have the same protections as those working in all other U.S. industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas A. Arcury & Taylor J. Arnold & Sara A. Quandt & Haiying Chen & Gregory D. Kearney & Joanne C. Sandberg & Jennifer W. Talton & Melinda F. Wiggins & Stephanie S. Daniel, 2019. "Health and Occupational Injury Experienced by Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina, USA," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2019:i:1:p:248-:d:303141
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marlenga, B. & Berg, R.L. & Linneman, J.G. & Brison, R.J. & Pickett, W., 2007. "Changing the child labor laws for agriculture: Impact on injury," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(2), pages 276-282.
    2. Tianyuan Luo & Cesar L. Escalante, 2018. "Health care service utilization of documented and undocumented hired farmworkers in the U.S," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(7), pages 923-934, September.
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