Integrating the wisdom and experience of indigenous farmworkers to improve farmworker safety and health.

Background: Community advisory committees (CACs) increasingly are formed to cultivate partnerships between researchers and communities.

Objectives: This article details the processes used to recruit CAC members, the purpose and structure of the committees, members' motivation to participate, and examples of member input and influence.

Methods: In-depth interviews, meeting notes, and partners' reflections were synthesized to identify key lessons regarding establishing and sustaining effective CACs.

Recruiting and retaining indigenous farmworker participants.

There is limited information on the specific practices used to successfully recruit and retain indigenous and Latino farmworkers in research studies. This article describes the strategies used in a community-based participatory research project with indigenous agricultural workers. Participants were recruited through consulting with indigenous relatives and friends, identifying and meeting with indigenous leaders from hometown associations in countries of origin, and asking current participants to recruit fellow farmworkers.

Pesticide exposure and occupational safety training of indigenous farmworkers in Oregon.

This follow-up study assessed indigenous and Latino farmworkers' occupational health and safety needs and measured variables related to pesticide exposure and pesticide safety training among this population. Results yielded differences between indigenous workers and Latino workers related to language barriers, experiences of workplace discrimination, preferred modes of information dissemination, pesticide exposures, and sufficiency of pesticide training. Employing more people who speak indigenous languages as interpreters, community and organizational leaders, and health workers may remove some of the linguistic and cultural barriers to occupational safety training.