U.S. poultry processing workers experience a disproportionate share of occupational injuries and illness compared to workers in other industries. Recent trends in this industry have resulted in a worker population that is poor, minority, and increasingly comprised of immigrants. Little research documents the onset of occupational injuries among immigrants in the poultry processing industry, the progression of these occupational injuries, or the occupational and personal characteristics associated with these occupational injuries. The overall goal of this research study is to document the nature and sources of occupational injuries among minority poultry processing workers. It follows several years of community participatory research by this team with workers in the target communities, in which a sampling frame has been developed.
The specific aims are: (1) to compare the prevalence of selected musculoskeletal (MSDs) and skin disorders among Latino poultry processing workers and controls (non-poultry, Latino manual laborers), and assess the mediating and moderating effects of occupational (task, shift), structural (income, education, access to healthcare), and socio- cultural (ethnicity, beliefs, values, acculturation) factors on these disorders;(2) to document the development of selected MSDs and skin disorders and assess the mediating and moderating effects of occupational, structural, and socio-cultural factors on this development;(3) to delineate the impact of selected MSDs and skin disorders on workers'and controls'health-related quality of life, both cross-sectionally and over time;and (4) to determine the interpretation of occupational illness and injury symptomatology, self-care behaviors, and barriers to prevention, treatment seeking, and reporting among workers.
These specific aims will be achieved using a linked cohort and ethnographic design, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. 276 immigrant poultry workers with experience in processing line work

Public Health Relevance

Poultry processing workers experience high rates of injuries, but good estimates of the number and types of injuries are unavailable. This study will provide such data, as well as information on the causes and consequences of these injuries. Such research will provide the basis of future efforts to reduce disparities in occupational injuries in the fastest growing segment of the meat processing industry through education and enforcement.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01OH009251-02
Application #
7687470
Study Section
Safety and Occupational Health Study Section (SOH)
Program Officer
Frederick, Linda J
Project Start
2008-09-30
Project End
2012-09-29
Budget Start
2009-09-30
Budget End
2010-09-29
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$735,325
Indirect Cost
Name
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
937727907
City
Winston-Salem
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27157
Mora, Dana C; Arcury, Thomas A; Quandt, Sara A (2016) Good job, bad job: Occupational perceptions among Latino poultry workers. Am J Ind Med 59:877-86
Cartwright, Michael S; Yeboah, Samuel; Walker, Francis O et al. (2016) Examining the association between musculoskeletal injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome in manual laborers. Muscle Nerve 54:31-5
Arcury, Thomas A; Chen, Haiying; Mora, Dana C et al. (2016) The effects of work organization on the health of immigrant manual workers: A longitudinal analysis. Arch Environ Occup Health 71:66-73
Arcury, Thomas A; Mora, Dana C; Quandt, Sara A (2015) ""…you earn money by suffering pain:"" Beliefs About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Among Latino Poultry Processing Workers. J Immigr Minor Health 17:791-801
Mirabelli, Maria C; Chatterjee, Arjun B; Mora, Dana C et al. (2015) Airway obstruction among Latino poultry processing workers in North Carolina. Arch Environ Occup Health 70:63-6
Mora, Dana C; Grzywacz, Joseph G; Anderson, Andrea M et al. (2014) Social isolation among Latino workers in rural North Carolina: exposure and health implications. J Immigr Minor Health 16:822-30
Cartwright, Michael S; Walker, Francis O; Newman, Jill C et al. (2014) Muscle intrusion as a potential cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. Muscle Nerve 50:517-22
Rosenbaum, Daryl A; Mora, Dana C; Arcury, Thomas A et al. (2014) Employer differences in upper-body musculoskeletal disorders and pain among immigrant Latino poultry processing workers. J Agromedicine 19:384-94
Arcury, Thomas A; Grzywacz, Joseph G; Chen, Haiying et al. (2014) Work organization and health among immigrant women: Latina manual workers in North Carolina. Am J Public Health 104:2445-52
Pichardo-Geisinger, Rita; Mora, Dana C; Newman, Jill C et al. (2014) Comorbidity of tinea pedis and onychomycosis and evaluation of risk factors in Latino immigrant poultry processing and other manual laborers. South Med J 107:374-9

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