Farmworker Acceptability of Backpack Hydration Systems.

OBJECTIVE: To improve water access while working and contribute to fewer heat-related illnesses (HRI), backpack hydration systems were provided to over 200 farmworkers to use during the 2022 growing season. Acceptability of the water intake intervention was assessed among farmworkers in eastern North Carolina, USA. METHODS: With a pre-established community-university partnership, the acceptability of the intervention was assessed using a cross-sectional survey. The backpack brand selected included a 3-liter water bladder and attached drinking hose. Data analysis included descriptive and correlation statistics. RESULTS: Among 47 male, migrant farmworkers, most (90%) reported the hydration backpack to be acceptable or completely acceptable to workplace fluid intake. Most (53%) reported using the backpack some of the time, compared to 28% who used it often. The participants reported an average of 4.8 (SD 2.2) liters of water intake from the backpack on a typical workday. Most reported the backpack improved the quantity and frequency of their water consumption. CONCLUSION: This study was an important first step in implementation of hydration backpack systems as an HRI-preventative intervention among farmworkers. Future interventional studies could assess the efficacy of the backpacks on health outcomes, including incidence of dehydration and symptoms of HRI.

Fluid Intake and Hydration Status Among North Carolina Farmworkers: A Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Agricultural workers are disproportionately at risk for heat-related morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to explore how sociocultural and occupational factors, and environmental heat stress influenced fluid intake and hydration status among Latino farmworkers working in eastern North Carolina. METHODS: A community-informed, mixed methods research study was conducted in partnership with staff at a federally qualified health center. In summer 2020, we recruited Latino farmworkers at migrant camps. Twenty-eight male, migrant farmworkers participated in focus group discussions and 30 completed surveys and provided urine specimens. Wet bulb globe temperatures were measured in fields where workers labored. Content analysis and parametric analyses were performed. Data integration was completed using a meta-matrix. RESULTS: Prior to work, 46.7% of farmworkers' urine specific gravity measurements indicated dehydration, which increased to 100% after work. The farmworkers spent between 2 and 7.5 hours of their day working in conditions above the recommended limits for workplace heat exposure. Farmworkers described exposure to extreme heat and inconsistent occupational policy compliance. Farmworkers expressed the opportunity to drink water but accessibility and poor water quality limited hydration. The integrated data supported congruent findings of extreme heat, few work breaks, and substandard housing. CONCLUSION/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Farmworkers are dehydrated at work, placing them at higher risk for heat-related illness (HRI). By engaging with agricultural stakeholders, occupational health nurses can combine efforts and advocate for effective health and safety work policies to reduce HRIs and deaths among farmworkers. Legislation stipulating cooling and hydration practices would support safer work environments.

Understanding Farmworker Fluid Intake Using Intersectionality Theory.

In the United States, Latino farmworkers are disproportionately at risk for death from heat-related illnesses. To elicit Latino farmworker perceptions on their fluid intake and heat stress, a qualitative descriptive, community-informed research study was conducted in eastern North Carolina. A total of 28 Mexican farmworkers participated in one of 4 focus groups. Using content analysis and guided by Intersectionality theory, themes and subthemes were identified. The first theme was Absence of Protection, represented by 2 subthemes: (1a) Intense Climate Considerations; and (1b) Workplace Exploitation. The second theme, Freedom to Drink, included 2 subthemes: (2a) Distance and Distaste; and (2b) Culture of Farm Work. Farmworkers perceived extreme outdoor temperatures as the greatest workplace barrier to staying hydrated and reported water accessibility and quality issues. Farmworker fluid intake was influenced by interlocking social categories and power systems. Policy recommendations that prevent farmworker heat-related illness and promote hydration are discussed.

Strategies for progression in a PhD nursing program within a transition model.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for interventions to improve the PhD pipeline for nursing program enrollment. PhD nursing students who have navigated the program successfully are in a strategic position to help by sharing their stories. Several strategies for successful completion of a PhD program and some common expected barriers have been documented in the literature. METHOD: The authors used personal reflections from their first and second years of study in a PhD nursing program to identify strategies to progress through a program. The personal reflections were analyzed by their student cohort and a faculty advisor using the Bridges' Transition Model as a theoretical framework. The cohort members included five females and one male, ages 29-48, attending a PhD nursing program in the Southeastern, US. RESULTS: The following strategies were identified from the personal reflections: seeking and offering support within your cohort; establishing a relationship with mentors; identifying and using a reference manager; mastering time management; soaking up statistics; and focusing on your focus. The strategies listed above occurred within the ending and/or neutral zone phases of the Bridges' Transition Model. CONCLUSION: It is important to note the early phases of transition and need for success strategies in these specific phases of transition. PhD nursing students are in a strategic position to positively influence the PhD pipeline by providing personal reflections that inform future PhD nursing students as well as PhD nursing programs.

Health and educational status of children raised by a caregiver with a disability.

BACKGROUND: Research on children raised by adults with disability is limited. Our goal was to provide a profile of the health and educational status of children raised by a caregiver with disability. METHODS: In 2007-2008, 4571 adults completed the North Carolina Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and Child Health Assessment Monitoring Program (CHAMP) surveys. Analyses using weighted data provided population-based health/educational status comparisons of children (0 to 17 years old) raised by caregivers with and without disability. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of caregivers reported disability. Rates of insurance coverage and preventive care did not differ by caregiver disability status, although children of caregivers with disability were more likely to have publicly funded insurance. The majority of children of caregivers with disability were in excellent/very good health (70%), healthy weight (58%), and making above-average grades (74%). Nonetheless, children raised by caregivers with disability appear to be at disproportionately higher risk for overall poorer outcomes. Children raised by caregivers with disability were more likely to be in fair/poor health (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3 to 3.6), overweight/obese (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.0), need medical/educational services (aOR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.6), have lower grades (aOR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.4-2.5), and higher rates of school absenteeism (aOR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.4), compared to children of caregivers without disability. CONCLUSION: Children raised by a caregiver with disability show good overall wellness; however, caregiver disability status was found to be associated with an increased risk for poor child health and educational outcomes. Future research is needed to clarify the causes of these disparities and inform policies to alleviate them.