TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - Heat-Related symptoms in sugarcane harvesters
JO  - American journal of industrial medicine
A1  - Crowe, Jennifer
A1  - Nilsson, Maria
A1  - Kjellstrom, Tord
A1  - Wesseling, Catharina
SP  - 541
EP  - 548
VL  - 58
IS  - 5
N2  - BACKGROUND: Exposure to heat stress is a documented risk for Central American sugarcane harvesters. However, little is known about heat-related illness in this population. <br><br>METHODS: This study examined the frequency of heat-related health effects among harvesters (n = 106) exposed to occupational heat stress compared to non-harvesters (n = 63). Chi-square test and gamma statistic were used to evaluate differences in self-reported symptoms and trends over heat exposure categories. <br><br>RESULTS: Heat and dehydration symptoms (headache, tachycardia, muscle cramps, fever, nausea, difficulty breathing, dizziness, swelling of hands/feet, and dysuria) were experienced at least once per week significantly more frequently among harvesters. Percentages of workers reporting heat and dehydration symptoms increased in accordance with increasing heat exposure categories. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: A large percentage of harvesters are experiencing heat illness throughout the harvest demonstrating an urgent need for improved workplace practices, particularly in light of climate change and the epidemic of chronic kidney disease prevalent in this population. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:541-548, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0271-3586
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22450
ID  - ref1
ER  -