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Work organization and occupational health: Perspectives from Latinos employed on crop and horse breeding farms
Author(s) -
Swanberg Jennifer E.,
Clouser Jess Miller,
Westneat Susan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.22032
Subject(s) - medicine , environmental health , work (physics) , occupational medicine , occupational exposure , agricultural science , engineering , environmental science , mechanical engineering
Background Agriculture is hazardous and increasingly dependent on Latino workers, a vulnerable population. However, little research has studied how work organization influences Latino farmworker health. Methods Using a work organization framework, this cross‐sectional study describes and compares the work organization and occupational health characteristics of a sample of Latino crop (n = 49) and horse production (n = 54) workers in Kentucky. Results Crop workers experienced more physical demands, work‐related and environmental stressors, and musculoskeletal and ill‐health symptoms. Significantly more crop workers indicated work‐related illness or missed work due to work‐related illness/injury, though one‐fourth of both groups reported work‐related injury in the past year. A majority of both groups cited exposure to toxic chemicals, a minority of whom received training on their use. Conclusion Further surveillance is needed to understand the rate and precursors of illness/injury in these populations, as is research on the relationship between supervisory practices, psychosocial stressors, and occupational health. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:714–728, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.