The Health Status of Hispanic Agricultural Workers in Georgia and Florida.

To examine the health status of Hispanic agricultural workers in Florida and Georgia. Health data from agricultural workers in the Farm Worker Family Health Program (June 2019) and research studies in Florida (May 2015 and May 2019) were examined. Data from 728 agricultural workers were collected through sociodemographic questionnaire and clinical data.

Inflammation-Related Factors Identified as Biomarkers of Dehydration and Subsequent Acute Kidney Injury in Agricultural Workers.

Globally, there is increasing recognition that agricultural workers are at risk for chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKD). Recurrent heat exposure, physical exertion, dehydration, muscle damage, and inflammation are hypothesized to contribute to the development of CKD, but the relative importance of these processes and the interactions among them remain unclear. Moreover, there is a need to identify biomarkers that could distinguish individuals who are at greatest risk for kidney damage to target preventative interventions for CKD.

Cooling Interventions Among Agricultural Workers: Qualitative Field-Based Study.

Introduction: Agricultural workers perform intense labor outside in direct sunlight and in humid environmental conditions exposing them to a high risk of heat-related illness (HRI). To implement effective cooling interventions in occupational settings, it is important to consider workers' perceptions. To date, an analysis of agricultural workers' experience and perception of cooling devices used in the field while working has not been published.

Risk Factors for Reaching Core Body Temperature Thresholds in Florida Agricultural Workers.

Background: There is a compelling need to identify agricultural workers at risk for heat related illness (HRI).

Methods: Data from Florida agricultural workers (N = 221) were collected over 3 summer workdays (2015 to 2017) to examine risk factors for exceeding NIOSH-recommended core temperature (Tc) thresholds (38 °C [Tc38] and 38.5 °C [Tc38.

A modified physiological strain index for workplace-based assessment of heat strain experienced by agricultural workers.

Background: As global temperatures rise, increasing numbers of individuals will work in hot environments. Interventions to protect their health are critical, as are reliable methods to measure the physiological strain experienced from heat exposure. The physiological strain index (PSI) is a measure of heat strain that relies on heart rate and core temperature but is challenging to calculate in a real-world occupational setting.

The Potential Impact of COVID-19 on H-2A Agricultural Workers.

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on farmworker communities has been well documented by the media. The virus overlays existing health disparities among farmworkers, but the population is not homogenous. One group of workers that may be even more vulnerable to the transmission of COVID-19 is the H-2A temporary worker population, because they have less control over their physical environments than domestic farmworkers, who may obtain their own housing and transportation.

Physical activity and work activities in Florida agricultural workers.

Background: Laboring in hot and humid conditions is a risk factor for heat-related illnesses. Little is known about the amount of physical activity performed in the field setting by agricultural workers, a population that is among those at highest risk for heat-related mortality in the United States.

Methods: We measured accelerometer-based physical activity and work activities performed in 244 Florida agricultural workers, 18 to 54 years of age, employed in the fernery, nursery, and crop operations during the summer work seasons of 2015-2017.

Chronic Kidney Disease Among Workers: A Review of the Literature.

For the past two decades, agricultural workers in regions of Central America have reported an epidemic of chronic kidney disease of undetermined etiology (CKDu) that is not associated with established risk factors of chronic kidney disease. Several hypotheses have emerged, but the etiology of CKDu remains elusive and controversial. The aim of this literature review was to describe the potential risk factors of CKDu in Mesoamerica and implications for the U.

Lessons Learned from Data Collection as Health Screening in Underserved Farmworker Communities.

Background: Girasoles is an academic-community partnership investigating heat-related illness (HRI) among farm-workers. An unexpected outcome is health screening and intervention for participants without access to health care.

Objectives: We present a case of renal failure in a farmworker, detected during data collection, to illustrate how academic-community collaboration can result in clinical benefits for study participants.

Hydration Status, Kidney Function, and Kidney Injury in Florida Agricultural Workers.

Objective: Recent findings suggest that laboring in hot occupational environments is related to kidney damage in agricultural workers. We examined hydration status and kidney function in 192 Florida agricultural workers.

Methods: Blood and urine samples were collected over 555 workdays during the summers of 2015 and 2016.

Classification of Heat-Related Illness Symptoms Among Florida Farmworkers.

Background: Farmworkers working in hot and humid environments have an increased risk for heat-related illness (HRI) if their thermoregulatory capabilities are overwhelmed. The manifestation of heat-related symptoms can escalate into life-threatening events. Increasing ambient air temperatures resulting from climate change will only exacerbate HRI in vulnerable populations.

Heat Exposure in Central Florida Fernery Workers: Results of a Feasibility Study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of field-based biomonitoring of heat-related illness (HRI) phenomena in Florida farmworkers. The authors determined feasibility through participant interviews regarding acceptability, data capture, recruitment and retention, and observed barriers and challenges to implementation.

Methods: Study participants were employed in fernery operations in northeast Central Florida where ornamental ferns are grown and harvested in a seasonally high-heat environment.

A systematic review of Mancozeb as a reproductive and developmental hazard.

Background: The potential adverse reproductive and developmental effects of Mancozeb, especially in sensitive subpopulations, have not been fully reviewed for this widely used fungicide.

Objective: To review the experimental and epidemiologic evidence for the association between exposure to Mancozeb and reproductive and developmental health outcomes using an adaptation of the National Toxicology Program's Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) systematic review framework.

Data Sources: Four databases (PubMed, TOXNET, Web of Science, Google Scholar) were searched for published studies on Mancozeb.

Novel Analytic Methods Needed for Real-Time Continuous Core Body Temperature Data.

Affordable measurement of core body temperature (T) in a continuous, real-time fashion is now possible. With this advance comes a new data analysis paradigm for occupational epidemiology. We characterize issues arising after obtaining T data over 188 workdays for 83 participating farmworkers, a population vulnerable to effects of rising temperatures due to climate change.

Collecting Comparative Data on Farmworker Housing and Health: Recommendations for Collecting Housing and Health Data Across Places and Time.

The substandard nature of the housing in which most farmworkers live has detrimental effects on their health, as well as on their children's health and development. However, little research has directly documented associations between farmworker housing and health; existing research is not always comparable due to differences in design and measurement. Comparative data can help determine actual causal links between housing characteristics and farmworker health and help to evaluate the efficacy of current housing policy.

Occupational risks and pregnancy and infant health outcomes in Florida farmworkers.

The agricultural industry has some of the highest incidence rates and numbers of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States. Injuries and illnesses in agriculture result from accidents, falls, excessive heat, repetitive motion and adverse pesticide exposure. Women working in agriculture are exposed to the same hazards and risks as their male counterparts, but can face additional adverse impacts on their reproductive health.

Pesticide risk perception and biomarkers of exposure in Florida female farmworkers.

Objective: To compare workplace characteristics, workplace behaviors, and the health beliefs of female farmworkers of childbearing age with actual biomarkers of exposure to organophosphate pesticides and to the fungicide mancozeb.

Methods: Hispanic and Haitian farmworkers between the ages of 18 and 40 years working in nursery or fernery operations were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional survey, examining demographics, work practices, work-related hygiene, and pesticide exposure beliefs. Single-void (spot) urine samples were analyzed for organophosphate and ethylenethiourea metabolites.

Female farmworkers' perceptions of heat-related illness and pregnancy health.

Although agricultural workers have elevated risks of heat-related illnesses (HRI), pregnant farmworkers exposed to extreme heat face additional health risk, including poor pregnancy health and birth outcomes. Qualitative data from five focus groups with 35 female Hispanic and Haitian nursery and fernery workers provide details about the women's perceptions of HRI and pregnancy. Participants believe that heat exposure can adversely affect general, pregnancy, and fetal health, yet feel they lack control over workplace conditions and that they lack training about these specific risks.

Female farmworkers' health during pregnancy: health care providers' perspectives.

Pregnant farmworkers and their fetuses are at increased risk of negative health outcomes due to environmental and occupational factors at their workplaces. Health care providers who serve farm communities can positively affect workers' health through the informed care they deliver. Yet, interviews with rural health care providers reveal limited knowledge about agricultural work or occupational and environmental health risks during pregnancy.

Female farmworkers' perceptions of pesticide exposure and pregnancy health.

Occupational pesticide exposure may be hazardous to pregnant farmworkers, yet few studies have focused on the health of female farmworkers distinct from their male counterparts or on the impact of agricultural work tasks on pregnancy outcomes. In the current community-based participatory research study, researchers conducted five focus groups with female nursery and fernery workers in Central Florida to enhance knowledge of attitudes about occupational risks and pregnancy health and to gather qualitative data to help form a survey instrument. This article presents the results from questions focused on pesticide exposure and its impact on general, reproductive, pregnancy, and fetal health.

Public health nursing case management for women receiving temporary assistance for needy families: a randomized controlled trial using community-based participatory research.

Objectives: We evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based participatory research-grounded intervention among women receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) with chronic health conditions in increasing (1) health care visits, (2) Medicaid knowledge and skills, and (3) health and functional status.

Methods: We used a randomized controlled trial design to assign 432 women to a public health nurse case management plus Medicaid intervention or a wait-control group. We assessed Medicaid outcomes pre- and posttraining; other outcomes were assessed at 3, 6, and 9 months.

The role of employers and supervisors in promoting pesticide safety behavior among Florida farmworkers.

Background: Farmworkers in Florida's nursery and fernery industries have an elevated risk of exposure to chemical pesticides due to the enclosed nature of their workplaces and their close contact with pesticide-treated plant material. Farmworkers' beliefs about chemical exposures and their perception of employer's or supervisor's valuing of safety may limit the practice of workplace hygiene.

Methods: Three hundred eighty-two surveys from workers in the nursery and fernery industries in North Central Florida were collected as part of the Together for Agricultural Safety (TAS) Project from 1999-2001.

Florida farmworkers' perceptions and lay knowledge of occupational pesticides.

Despite federal regulations, farmworkers often lack access to basic information about pesticides applied at their worksites. Focus groups revealed that farmworkers have developed an extensive body of lay knowledge, based on personal perceptions, about pesticides and pesticide exposure including means of pesticide exposure, means of pesticide entry into the body, and the potential health effects of pesticide exposure. We describe how this lay knowledge, when combined with technical information that is required to be provided to workers by law, provides valuable data to consider before developing and implementing health interventions designed to reduce the adverse health effects of pesticide exposure.