Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the U.S. and in Texas, although little is known about the magnitude of injury and illness in the migrant farmworker population. The unique circumstances of their employment require specially targeted surveillance systems to monitor for injuries and illnesses in this high-risk population. The overall goal of this study is to develop a surveillance system and estimate the incidence rate of occupational injuries, the prevalence of illness symptoms and workplace hazards, and to identify risk factors for these adverse health outcomes in a population of migrant farmworker children and their families residing in South Texas. This study proposes to ascertain migrant farmworker children and their families in Rio Grande City Independent School District (in South Texas along the Texas-Mexico border) through a computerized system designed to track school progress of these students across the U.S. (10 states currently participate). The proposed study design is a two-year cohort study beginning with a screening survey at baseline to ascertain intention to migrate and health status. Two-hundred fifty families will be selected randomly and will be asked to maintain a work diary while migrating (according to a randomized study protocol). A questionnaire will be administered to the mothers upon return to Rio Grande City after Year 1 and Year 2. The questionnaire will solicit information on agent, host, and environment risk factors that may predict injury and illnesses (e.g., demographic, work, psychosocial, medical care, childcare, and injury and illness questions). Subsamples from this population will also be taken to examine agreement issues (e.g., concordance of responses between mother/child and husband/wife). An advisory group from the Texas/Mexico border community and the academic communities will be assembled to advise the study on relevant issues and to build a coalition for ongoing monitoring of community concerns and ways to address injuries and other health conditions in this population. Using this study as a prototype for surveillance implementation could have a profound impact on the ability to access and monitor a large portion of migrant farmworker children and their families in this country for hazards and health outcomes as well as to evaluate future interventions.
| Shah, D J; Shipp, E M; Cooper, S P et al. (2009) Hand problems in migrant farmworkers. J Agric Saf Health 15:157-69 |
| Shipp, Eva M; Cooper, Sharon P; del Junco, Deborah J et al. (2009) Chronic back pain and associated work and non-work variables among farmworkers from Starr County, Texas. J Agromedicine 14:22-32 |
