"Our findings suggest that the health of farmworker families is at risk due to inadequate housing," said Thomas Arcury, Ph.D., lead researcher. "It is important to improve these conditions because of the vital role they play in the state farm economy and therefore, the state economy of North Carolina."

Data for the analysis came from four surveys of North Carolina farmworker communities conducted in 2001 and 2003. The results are reported in the April issue of the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.

"There has been very little research to document the housing in which farmworker families live," said Arcury, professor of family and community medicine. "This study provides the first detailed data and can serve as a starting point in changing policy on migrant worker housing and educating farmworker families how to mitigate the detrimental effects of poor housing quality."

Previous research on housing quality in general has found that it is an important determinant of health. Crowding and inadequate sanitary facilities, for example, can contribute to a higher incidence of infectious diseases. Crowding has also been shown to affect psychological well-being. And structural or electrical problems can result in injuries as well as exposure to toxic substances such as lead and pesticides.

This study focused on describing the specific housing conditions of immigrant farmworker families in North Carolina and identifying housing features that place these families at risk for environmental exposures. It is based on data from 234 households.

The researchers analyzed information from multiple interviews conducted by fluent speakers
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Contact: Karen Richardson
krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu
336-716-4453
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
10-Apr-2006