Migrant farmworkers are an essential part of the agricultural industry in this country, but they are a vulnerable population with poor health outcomes. The purpose of this project is to examine the health status of a migrant farmworker population in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and to discuss the factors that contribute to their health disparities and influence their access to health care. A retrospective record review and analysis of demographic and health status information on 390 male migrant farmworkers was conducted. Workers were from Mexico, Jamaica and Haiti, and had a mean age of 38.5 years. The most common health problems reported were musculoskeletal pain, irritated eyes, skin problems, and respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. This group may be at risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. They are also at risk for retinal damage and skin cancer from long-term sun exposure. There is a need to develop interventions and ergonomic adaptations to reduce work-related musculoskeletal pain. This study identifies areas for advanced public health nurses to design, deliver, and evaluate interventions to address health promotion and disease prevention efforts, and improve the health status of individuals and populations. This study adds to the body of knowledge about migrant farmworkers, and informs and guides the provision of services to this population. To the author's knowledge, this is the first study on the health status of the Northern Shenandoah Valley migrant farmworkers.
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