Frequently reported health conditions among migrant farmworkers in southern Georgia

Background: Agricultural labor involves exposure to many occupational hazards, some of which can lead to chronic health conditions. The purpose of the current study was to conduct an occupational health needs assessment of illnesses and work-related injuries among a Latino migrant farmworker population in Georgia harvesting onions. Methods: This study was conducted in two phases. In Phase 1, a cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of 100 farmworkers attending mobile clinics in 2010. The interviewers surveyed the farmworkers using a shorter adapted version of the California Agricultural Worker Health Survey. For the survey data, bivariate analyses with relevant variables were used to identify associations for additional multivariable analyses. In Phase 2, a database containing medical screening information collected over three years (2009-11) for 1,445 patients was accessed and analyzed. Frequency counts were calculated from the screening data to identify prevalent health conditions. Results: The main health conditions reported in the survey were: hypertension (25%), eye problems (12%), musculoskeletal problems (11%), diabetes (10%), and depression (7%). Higher depression scores were associated with having a history of musculoskeletal problems (p<.001). For the screening data, the most common medical diagnoses included hypertension (11.0%), back pain (10.4%), gastrointestinal disorders (9.3%), eye problems (6.5%), musculoskeletal problems (6.3%), and tinea/fungal skin infections (5.6%). Of the major diagnostic categories, only back pain exhibited an increasing trend over the three-year period (from 6.5% to 15.4%). Conclusion: The study identified eye and musculoskeletal problems, including back pain, as potential targets for future occupational safety intervention studies.