Citation

Stallones L, Acosta MS, Sample P, Bigelow P, Rosales M. J. Rural Health 2009; 25(2): 219-225.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA. lorann@colostate.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, National Rural Health Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1748-0361.2009.00221.x

PMID

19785590

Abstract

CONTEXT: A large number of hired farmworkers in the United States come from México. Understanding safety and health concerns among the workers is essential to improving prevention programs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this pilot study was to obtain detailed information about safety and health concerns of hired farmworkers in Colorado and in México. METHODS: A total of 10 migrant farmworkers from northern Colorado and 5 seasonal farmworkers from Guanajuato, México, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. The social cognitive theory (SCT) served as a framework to gain understanding of safety and health among workers. FINDINGS: Topics of concern identified included causes of farm, home and motor vehicle injuries, and treatment preferences for injuries and illnesses. Four main themes emerged: safety and health concerns, personal control and prevention strategies, factors affecting control and prevention strategies, and the importance of family. CONCLUSIONS: Further study of the themes using a revised semi-structured interview will be done in a larger study among hired farmworkers. The results add to the current work to understand specific health and safety concerns among these workers.

Language: en