Quirina M. Vallejos

Depressive Symptoms among Latino Farmworkers across the Agricultural Season: Structural and Situational Influences

Immigrant Latino farmworkers confront multiple challenges that threaten their mental health. Previous farmworker mental health research has relied primarily on cross-sectional study designs, leaving little opportunity to describe how farmworker mental health changes or to identify factors that may contribute to these changes. This study used prospective data obtained at monthly intervals across one 4-month agricultural season from a large sample of Latino farmworkers in North Carolina (N = 288) to document variation in depressive symptoms across the agricultural season and delineate structural and situational factors associated with mental health trajectories across time. Depressive symptoms generally followed a U-shaped distribution across the season, but there was substantial variation in this pattern. Structural stressors like marital status and situational stressors like the pace of work, crowded living conditions, and concerns about documentation predicted depressive symptoms. The pattern of results suggests that strategies to address mental health problems in this vulnerable population will require coordinated action at the individual and social level.

Repeated pesticide exposure among North Carolina migrant and seasonal farmworkers

BACKGROUNDnLimited data document the multiple and repeated pesticide absorption experienced by farmworkers in an agricultural season or their risk factors.nnnMETHODSnData were collected from 196 farmworkers four times at monthly intervals in 2007. Urine samples were tested for 12 pesticide urinary metabolites. Questionnaire data provided measures of exposure risks.nnnRESULTSnFarmworkers had at least one detection for many pesticide urinary metabolites; for example, 84.2% had at least one detection for acephate, 88.8% for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol. Most farmworkers had multiple detections for specific metabolites; for example, 64.8% had two or more detections for acephate, 64.8% for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol, 79.1% for 3-phenoxybenzoic acid, and 86.7% for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Housing type had a consistent significant association with metabolite detections.nnnCONCLUSIONSnFarmworkers are exposed to multiple pesticides across an agricultural season, and they experience repeated exposures to the same pesticides. Reducing farmworker pesticide exposure and delineating the health outcomes of this exposure require more detailed data. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:802-813, 2010. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Migrant farmworkers' housing conditions across an agricultural season in North Carolina.

BACKGROUNDnSeveral studies have documented poor housing conditions for farmworkers but none has focused on migrant farmworker housing, which is often provided as a condition of employment. Farmworker housing quality is regulated, but little documentation exists of compliance with regulations.nnnMETHODSnA 2007 survey of 43 randomly selected farmworker camps and a 2008 survey of 27 camps randomly selected from the 2007 sample documented housing conditions via interviewer administered questionnaire and housing checklist.nnnRESULTSnSubstandard conditions are common in migrant housing. All camps had at least one exterior housing problem; 93% had at least one interior problem. Housing conditions worsen across the agricultural season. Characteristics including no residents with H2A visa and 11 or more residents are associated with poorer conditions.nnnCONCLUSIONSnHousing standards are not adequately enforced. An increase in post-occupancy inspections and targeting camps with characteristics that place them at increased risk for substandard conditions are recommended.

Symptoms of heat illness among Latino farm workers in North Carolina

BACKGROUNDnSymptoms of occupational heat illness provide an early warning that workers are in potentially life-threatening environmental conditions.nnnPURPOSEnThis analysis was designed to assess the extent to which strategies to reduce the health impact of extreme heat were associated with the prevalence of heat illness among Latino farm workers.nnnMETHODSnBetween June and September 2009, a total of 300 Latino men and women participated in a cross-sectional survey about farm worker health. Participants reported whether they were employed through the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program and whether they had ever worked in conditions of extreme heat during their work in the U.S. agricultural industry. Workers who had worked in extreme heat also responded to questions about selected activities and behaviors and whether they experienced symptoms of heat illness. Data analysis was conducted in 2009 to assess associations of altering work hours and activities, drinking more water, resting in shaded areas, and going to air-conditioned places during or after work, with the prevalence of symptoms of heat illness among H-2A and non-H-2A workers.nnnRESULTSnWorking in extreme heat was reported by 281 respondents (94%), among whom 112 (40%) reported symptoms of heat illness. Changes in work hours and activities during hot conditions were associated with a lower prevalence of heat illness among H-2A workers but not among non-H-2A workers.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThese findings suggest the need to improve the understanding of working conditions for farm workers and to assess strategies to reduce agricultural workers environmental heat exposure.

The prevalence of melasma and its association with quality of life in adult male Latino migrant workers

Backgroundu2002 Melasma is a common condition of Latino women that detracts from their quality of life (QOL). The prevalence and impact of melasma in Latino men is not well characterized.

Variation across the agricultural season in organophosphorus pesticide urinary metabolite levels for Latino farmworkers in eastern North Carolina: Project design and descriptive results

BACKGROUNDnCommunity Participatory Approach to Measuring Farmworker Pesticide Exposure, PACE3, used a longitudinal design to document pesticide biomarkers among farmworkers. This article presents an overview of PACE3 and provides a descriptive analysis of participant characteristics and one set of pesticide biomarkers, the dialkylphosphate (DAP) urinary metabolites of organophosphorus (OP) pesticides.nnnMETHODSnTwo hundred eighty seven farmworkers were recruited during 2007 from 44 farmworker camps in 11 eastern North Carolina counties. Participants provided interviews, urine samples, blood samples, and saliva samples up to four times at monthly intervals beginning in May. A total of 939 data points were collected.nnnRESULTSnFarmworkers were largely men (91.3%) from Mexico (94.8%) with a mean age of 33.7 years (SE 0.82); 23.3% spoke an indigenous language. Across all data points, frequencies of detection and median urinary concentrations were 41.3% and 0.96 microg/L for dimethylphosphate (DMP), 78.3% and 3.61 microg/L for dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP), 33.3% and 0.04 microg/L for dimethyldithiophosphate (DMDTP), 40.5% and 0.87 microg/L for diethylphosphate (DEP), 32.3% and 0.17 microg/L for diethylthiophosphate (DETP), and 8.09% and 0.00 microg/L for diethyldithiophosphate (DEDTP). The frequencies of detection and urinary concentrations of the DAP metabolites increased during the season.nnnCONCLUSIONSnMore PACE3 participants were from Mexico, male, migrant workers, and spoke an indigenous language compared to national data. PACE3 participants had comparable frequencies of detection and urinary metabolite concentrations with participants in other studies. Variability in the frequencies of detection and urinary concentrations of the DAP metabolites indicates the importance of longitudinal studies of biomarkers of currently used pesticides in farmworker populations.

Migrant Farmworker Field and Camp Safety and Sanitation in Eastern North Carolina

ABSTRACT Migrant farmworkers are exposed to numerous workplace hazards, with pesticides being a ubiquitous occupational exposure. This analysis describes farmworker experiences of field and camp safety conditions and their safety behaviors, and delineates farmworker characteristics associated with safety conditions and behaviors. Data were collected from 255 migrant farmworkers up to 4 times at monthly intervals during the 2007 agricultural season in eastern North Carolina. Measures assess field safety conditions and camp sanitation required by federal and state regulations. Most of the farmworkers were Latino men from Mexico. About 20% had not received pesticide safety training across the season; many of those who received such training did not understand it. Water for washing was not available for about one-third of the workers; soap and towels were not available for over half. About 20% lived in camps with more than eight workers per showerhead and about 20% lived in camps that failed to meet the standard of 30 or fewer workers per washtub/washing machine. Important predictors of variation included H2A visa status and years of experience. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) safety regulations are not consistently met; (2) farmworkers do not always practice safety behaviors; (3) camps become more crowded and less compliant during the middle of the agricultural season; and (4) workers with H2A visas experience better conditions and practice more safety behaviors than do workers who do not have H2A visas. Further research needs to account for social and cultural factors. Regulations should be compared with pesticide metabolite levels to measure their effectiveness. More effort is needed to enforce existing regulations.

Seasonal Variation in the Measurement of Urinary Pesticide Metabolites among Latino Farmworkers in Eastern North Carolina

Abstract This analysis describes the detection of urinary pesticide metabolites for Latino farmworkers across the agricultural season. Two hundred and eighty four farmworkers were recruited from 44 camps in eastern North Carolina in 2007. Data were collected at one month intervals for a total of 939 data points. The OP insecticide metabolites 3,5,6-trichloropyridinol (46.2%), malathion dicarboxylic acid (27.7%), and para-nitrophenol (97.4%); the pyrethroid metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (56.4%); and the herbicides 2,4-D (68.1%), acetochlor (29.2%), and metolachlor (16.9%) were found in sizable percentages of the samples. The percentage of farmworkers for whom metabolites were detected varied across the agricultural season. None of the farmworker characteristics were significantly associated with the detection of any pesticide metabolite. Seasonality overrides the effects of other farmworker characteristics in predicting detection of pesticide urinary metabolites. Future research needs to collect multiple exposure measures at frequent intervals over an extended period to characterize factors associated with exposure.

Cholinesterase depression and its association with pesticide exposure across the agricultural season among Latino farmworkers in North Carolina.

Background Farmworkers can be exposed to a wide variety of pesticides. Assessing cholinesterase activity over time can be used to monitor exposure to organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides. Objectives The goal of this study was to document patterns and variation in cholinesterase levels across the agricultural season (May–August) among field-workers, and to explore the association of cholinesterase depression with pesticide exposure across the agricultural season. Methods Dried blood samples collected from 231 migrant farmworkers sampled from camps in eastern North Carolina up to four times across a summer agricultural season were analyzed for cholinesterase activity, and urine samples were analyzed for metabolites of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides. Reductions of ≥ 15% from an individual’s highest value were identified and considered evidence of meaningful cholinesterase activity depression. Results The average cholinesterase activity levels were lowest in June, with significantly higher mean values in July and August. When adjusted for age, sex, minutes waited to shower, and days worked in the fields, the number of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides detected in urine predicted reductions in cholinesterase activity. Conclusions These data demonstrate that workers are experiencing pesticide exposure. Greater enforcement of existing safety regulations or strengthening of these regulations may be warranted. This study demonstrates that serial measurements of cholinesterase activity across an agricultural season can detect exposure to pesticides among field-workers.

HIV and sexually transmitted disease risk among male Hispanic/Latino migrant farmworkers in the Southeast: Findings from a pilot CBPR study

BACKGROUNDnLittle is known about the HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk behaviors of Hispanic/Latino farmworkers. This study was designed to describe risk factors for HIV and STD infection, explore personal characteristics associated with condom use, and evaluate the feasibility of collecting self-report and biomarker data from farmworkers.nnnMETHODSnSelf-report and biomarker data were collected from a sample of male farmworkers living in 29 camps in North Carolina during the 2008 growing season.nnnRESULTSnOver half of the 100 male workers, mean age 37.1 (range 19-68) years, reported binge drinking during the past 12 months. Forty percent of those who reported having had sex during the past 3 months indicated that they were under the influence of alcohol. Knowledge of HIV and STD transmission and prevention was low. Among the 25 workers who reported having had sex during the past 3 months, 16 and 2 reported using a condom consistently during vaginal and anal sex, respectively, and nearly 1 out of 6 workers reported paying a woman to have sex. Two workers tested positive for syphilis.nnnCONCLUSIONSnFarmworkers in this sample demonstrated significant HIV and STD risks; however, when exploring potential bivariate associations with consistent condom use no statistically significant associations were identified perhaps due to the small sample size. Because it was feasible to collect self-report and biomarker data related to HIV and STDs from Hispanic/Latino farmworkers, research needed to further explore risks and develop interventions to reduce disease exposure and transmission among this vulnerable population.