The broad objective of this research is to see whether the federal system of migrant health clinics is adequately providing for the health needs of migrant agricultural workers, and whether the current program is equal to, better, or worse than that provided II years ago. In order to do this, data will be analyzed from a survey of migrant agricultural workers in Wisconsin in the summer of 1989, and compared with a similar study conducted in 1978. Topics to be compared include health conditions, utilization patterns, and unmet health needs of migrant workers and some preventive health measures relating to the wives and children of the workers. Specific hypotheses will be tested that examine the effect of education, age, income and primary spoken language on health status, medical utilization patterns, and use of health care through the migrant health clinics, vouchers for medical services, or self-pay private physicians. The 1989 survey consists of 113 face to face interviews with migrant workers plus 52 additional supplementary interviews with women of childbearing age in the workers' households in three counties in Wisconsin. A 10 percent random sample of workers' names was drawn from the most recent payroll list of all of the employers in the county who employed migrants. The data from 1978 was also from a sample survey using similar methodology, and consisted of 262 interviews with workers and 99 additional interviews with childbearing age women in workers' households. Both interview schedules contained the same questions. In both years, about 96 percent of the workers were of Mexican heritage.
