Occupational Health and Safety in the Palm Oil Industry: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The palm oil industry is the largest contributor to global production of oils and fats. Indonesia and Malaysia are the largest producers of palm oil. More than a million workers are employed in this industry, yet there is a lack of information on their occupational health and safety. OBJECTIVE: To identify and summarize occupational hazards among oil palm plantation workers. METHODS: A search was carried out in June 2018 in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ovid. Relevant publications were identified by a systematic search of four databases and relevant journals. Publications were included if they examined occupational hazards in oil palm plantation workers. RESULTS: 941 publications were identified; of these, 25 studies were found eligible to be included in the final review. Of the 25 studies examined, 19 were conducted in Malaysia, 2 in Costa Rica, and one each in Ghana, Indonesia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Cameroon. Oil palm plantation workers were found to be at risk of musculoskeletal conditions, injuries, psychosocial disorders, and infectious diseases such as malaria and leptospirosis. In addition, they have potential exposure to paraquat and other pesticides. CONCLUSION: In light of the potential of palm oil for use as a biofuel, this is an industry with strong growth potential. The workers are exposed to various occupational hazards. Further research and interventions are necessary to improve the working conditions of this already vast and growing workforce.

Comet assay genotoxicity evaluation of occupationally exposed tea-garden workers in northern West Bengal, India.

To assess possible genotoxic effects of pesticide exposure in occupationally exposed tea-garden workers, DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was evaluated with the comet assay. The effects of smoking and alcohol consumption were also examined. The comet tail length, % tail DNA, and Olive tail moment were significantly higher in pesticide-exposed workers compared to non-exposed controls. None of the damage parameters differed when control smokers and control alcohol consumers were compared with controls. However, pesticide-exposed individuals had significantly higher comet tail length, % tail DNA, and Olive tail moment than control smokers and control alcohol consumers, suggesting that the DNA damage may be associated with pesticide exposure.

Subjective Symptoms of Male Workers Linked to Occupational Pesticide Exposure on Coffee Plantations in the Jarabacoa Region, Dominican Republic.

Acute and sub-acute effects of pesticide use in coffee farmers have rarely been investigated. In the present field study, self-reported health symptoms from 38 male pesticide users were compared to those of 33 organic farmers. Results of cytological findings have been reported in an accompanying paper in this issue. The present second part of the study comprises a questionnaire based survey for various, potentially pesticide related symptoms among the coffee farmers. Symptom rates were generally higher in exposed workers, reaching significance in nine out of 19 assessed symptoms. Significantly increased symptom frequencies were related to neurotoxicity, parasympathic effects and acetylcholine esterase inhibition, with the highest differences found for excessive salivation, dizziness and stomach ache. We revealed a lack of precautionary measures in the majority of farmers. Better education, regulations, and safety equipment are urgently needed.

Pesticide exposure, tobacco use, poor self-perceived health and presence of chronic disease are determinants of depressive symptoms among coffee growers from Southeast Brazil.

The lifestyle and other factors associated with the appearance of several health conditions that affect quality of life in rural zone is an issue that has been increasingly explored. Brazil is the largest coffee-producing nation in the world and has been a considerable consumer of pesticides since 2008. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors that could be contributing to the appearance of depressive symptoms in rural workers. Two hundred twenty male volunteers from nine cities in Southeast Brazil completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) questionnaire about depressive symptoms and provided other information about socio-demographic characteristics and additional confounding factors. The adjusted multivariate logistic analysis demonstrated that pesticide exposure, tobacco use, poor self-perceived health and the presence of chronic disease contribute as risk factors for the appearance of depressive symptoms at a level above ups and downs considered normal in the BDI-II. This survey contributes to the search for solutions to improve quality of life and mental health in the rural living to the extent that social determinants of depression are being investigated.

Health Symptoms Associated with Pesticides Exposure among Flower and Onion Pesticide Applicators in Arusha Region.

INTRODUCTION: Pesticides are extensively used in agriculture to control harmful pests and prevent crop yield losses or product damage. In Tanzania several studies have been conducted on health effects of pesticides on agricultural workers. However, there are few studies on neurological health symptoms associated with pesticide exposure in flower and onion farms. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess health symptoms associated with pesticide exposure among flower and onion pesticide applicators in the Arusha region, Tanzania. METHODS: Data on demographic variables and health symptoms associated with pesticide exposure were collected from 140 males who were employed in spraying pesticides on flower and onion farms in Arusha, Meru and Karatu districts between April and May 2017. The study participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire with questions focusing sociodemographic characteristics, occupation, pesticide exposure, common type of pesticide used in the area and neurological symptoms experienced during and after pesticide spraying. To determine the intensity of pesticide exposure, acetylcholinesterase assay was done by using the Test-mate Model 400 device with a photometric sensor. RESULTS: Ninety-five percent of pesticide applicators reported handling organophosphate pesticides. Body weakness was the most frequently reported neurological symptom (57.1%) followed by perspiration and headache (40.7%), poor appetite and depression (29.3%) and irritation (26.4%). About 27% of pesticide applicators had an acetylcholinesterase level below the limit value. CONCLUSION: A high proportion of neurological health symptoms and cholinesterase test depression was noted among pesticide applicators in both farms. There is a need to conduct further studies to ascertain causality for such high instances of neurological symptoms.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and physiological stress among adult, male potato cultivators of West Bengal, India.

A total of 70 male potato cultivators were selected randomly from the villages of West Bengal, India, to evaluate musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), thermal stress, and physiological stress and were compared with 70 controls from the urban sector of West Bengal. Modified Nordic questionnaire studies and a posture analysis were performed in for the male potato cultivators by the Rapid Entire Body Assessment method. Most of the participants suffered discomfort at different parts of the body, especially in the lower back, knee, ankle, and feet regions. Potato cultivators suffered maximum discomfort during spading, planting seeds, weeding, picking crops, and sprinkling water. Therefore, it can be concluded that prolonged work activity, high repetitiveness, and remaining constantly in an awkward posture for a prolonged period of time may lead to MSDs. This study also revealed that a significant physiological load is exerted on the potato cultivators, as shown by increased heart rates.

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder and association with productivity loss: a preliminary study among labour intensive manual harvesting activities in oil palm plantation.

Production agriculture such as harvesting in oil palm plantation has been frequently associated with MSD and significant loss of productivities. This study tends to evaluate from the viewpoint of health, the association between self-reported prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and productivities; the impact of musculoskeletal disorders on productivity. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 143 harvesters in oil palm plantation. A general questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic background data while Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of MSD. Expressed in 4 different indicators; daily harvesting quantity, efficiency score, sick leave and presenteeism, the productivity data were analysed for association. There is significant association between reported acute prevalence of MSD (within 7 d) and productivity loss in terms of presenteeism (χ(2)=5.088; p<0.05) as well as quantity of daily harvest (χ(2)=7.406; p<0.01). Logistic regression adjusted for age, BMI and smoking indicate that harvesters with MSD (past seven days) were more likely to be engaged in presenteeism (OR=2.87 95% CI=1.34, 6.14) and had lower daily productivity (OR=2.09 95% CI=1.02, 4.29) compared to harvesters without MSD (past 7 d). This study reveals that oil palm harvesters suffering acute MSD (for the past week) were likely to be still present to work and produce half lesser than their healthy counterparts. Thus, further study with comprehensive surveillance strategy is essential in order to determine the urgency or need of appropriate intervention.

Risk of mental health disorders among farmers involved in palm plantation occupation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to define mental health status of palm plantation farmers in Muar, Johor, Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 47 male farmers volunteered to join this study from three rural districts in southern Malaysia. Anthropometric measurements, demographic data including smoking habits and the short form of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales (DASS-21) to assess mental health status were obtained in an interview. RESULTS: Mean and SD age of participants was 30.17 ± 4.86 years. Mean BMI of subjects was 22.86 ± 3.88 kg/m2. Most subjects (76.6%) were smokers. The prevalence of mild to moderate anxiety was 27.7% and Mild to moderate depression was 8.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed high prevalence of anxiety and smoking in palm plantation workers and that smoking habits can be related to their higher anxiety level.

Injuries caused by venomous animals and folk medicine in farmers from Cuite, State of Paraiba, Northeast of Brazil / Relatos de acidentes por animais peconhentos e medicina popular em agricultores de Cuite, regiao do Curimatau, Paraiba, Brasil

Injuries caused by venomous animals reported by the agricultural workers from the municipality of Cuité, Curimataú region of Paraiba State, Northeast of Brazil, and the practices of folk medicine which they use to treat these cases were studied in this work from June to August 2010. The farmers studied aged from 11 to 90 years. The number of people who reported cases of injury by these animals in their families was high (89.3%). Scorpions, wasps, bees and snakes were the most cited and the extremities of the body (hands, feet, legs and head) were the most affected. The practice of folk medicine to treat these injuries includes various procedures ranging from ritualistic treatments, use of animals or parts of them, and some herbal preparations. The folk treatment was reported as effective by most of the workers injured (63.9%). Body parts of dead snakes are used in various zootherapic treatments. In the imaginary of the agricultural workers the venomous animals are considered hazardous (48.7%) or disgusting (11.3%), and several parts of such animals as the rattle, bee sting or snake leather are used as amulet. Several legends have also been reported about snakes, scorpions and bees. The need for educational activities that aim to clarify these workers about the dangers of such practices is urgent.

Acidentes por animais peçonhentos ocorridos com agricultores sindicalizados do município de Cuité, região do Curimataú paraibano, e práticas de medicina popular por eles utilizadas foram estudadas neste trabalho, através de entrevistas livres e questionários semiestruturados durante o período de junho a agosto de 2010. A idade dos agricultores pesquisados variou de 11 a 90 anos e a incidência de pessoas que sofreram algum acidente com esses animais chegou a 89,3%. Escorpiões, marimbondos, abelhas e serpentes foram os animais mais citados. As extremidades do corpo (mãos, pés, pernas e cabeça) foram as regiões mais atingidas. A prática da medicina popular para tratar desses acidentes inclui vários procedimentos que vão desde tratamentos ritualísticos, uso de animais ou partes dele, até preparos fitoterápicos. O tratamento caseiro é reconhecido como sendo eficaz pela maioria dos que sofreram acidentes (63,9%). Serpentes mortas têm várias partes do corpo arrancadas e usadas em tratamentos zooterápicos diversos. No imaginário dos agricultores, os animais peçonhentos são vistos como perigosos (48,7%) ou nojentos (11,3%), e diversas partes desses animais como chocalho, ferrão da abelha ou couro da cobra são usadas como amuletos de sorte. Inúmeras lendas também foram relatadas com cobras, escorpiões e abelhas. A necessidade de atividades educacionais visando esclarecer esses trabalhadores sobre os perigos dessas práticas é urgente.

Prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors among tea garden and general population in Dibrugarh, Assam, India.

INTRODUCTION: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are multifactorial. Previous research has reported a high prevalence of CVD risk factors in tea-garden workers. This study was conducted to assess prevalence and level of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors among tea-garden and general population in Dibrugarh, Assam. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study using the World Health Organization's (WHO) Stepwise methodology was conducted in Dibrugarh District of Assam. A multistep random sampling was done to include adults aged 35 years and above, with an intended equal sampling from tea-garden and general population. INTERHEART modifiable non-laboratory based risk score was estimated. Salt consumption was estimated using questionnaire-based methods in both subgroups. RESULTS: A total of 2826 individuals participated in the study (1231 [43.6%] tea-garden workers; 1595 [56.4%] general population). Tobacco consumption was higher in tea-garden workers as compared with general population (85.2% vs. 41.7% (p < 0.0001). Mean daily per-capita salt consumption was also significantly higher among tea-garden workers (29.60 vs. 22.89 g, p = 0.0001). Overall prevalence of hypertension was similar (44.4% vs. 45.2%), but among those who had hypertension, prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was higher in tea-garden workers (82.8% vs. 74.4%, p < 0.0001). Tea-garden workers had lower BMI, were more physically active, and had a lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Their INTERHEART modifiable risk score was also lower (1.44 [2.5] vs. 1.79 [2.8], p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: High prevalence of modifiable risk factors like tobacco consumption, high salt intake and high prevalence of hypertension indicates the need for early implementation of preventive actions in this population.

The combined effects of family size and farm exposure on childhood hay fever and atopy.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to farming environments and siblings is associated with reduced risks of childhood hay fever and atopy. We explored the independence and interaction of these protective effects in the GABRIELA study. METHODS: Questionnaire surveys on farming, asthma, and allergies were conducted in four central European areas among 79,888 6-12-yr-old children. Aeroallergen-specific serum IgE was measured in a stratified sample of 8,023 children. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare gradients in allergy prevalence by sibship size across three categories of exposure to farming environments. RESULTS: The prevalence of hay fever ranged from 2% (95% confidence interval 1.6%; 2.7%) among farmers' children with more than two siblings to 12% (11.2%; 13.0%) among children with no farm exposure and no siblings. Farming families were larger on average. More siblings and exposure to farming environments independently conferred protection from hay fever and atopy. There was no substantial effect modification between family size and exposure to farming environments. The odds ratios for hay fever per additional sibling were 0.79 among unexposed non-farm children, 0.77 among farm-exposed non-farm children, and 0.72 among children from farming families (2df interaction test: p = 0.41). CONCLUSION: The inverse association of exposure to farming environments with hay fever is found in all sizes of family, with no substantial tendency to saturation or synergism. This suggests that different biological mechanisms may underlie these two protective factors. Combinations of a large family and exposure to farming environments markedly reduce the prevalence of hay fever and indicate the strength of its environmental determinants.

Carpal tunnel syndrome in manual tea harvesters.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to present the physiopathological and surgical aspects of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) related to manual tea harvesting based on nerve conduction studies and clinical scoring systems. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical and neurophysiological scores as well as clinical and occupational variables were statistically analyzed using Boston questionnaire, modified criteria of Italian CTS study group, and modified neurophysiologic grading system of Italian CTS study group in 56 agricultural laborers who underwent surgery due to severe CTS. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation was found among the clinical stages of the patients and age, working duration and duration of symptoms. There was a statistically significant relationship among neurophysiologic grades of the CTS in patients and the duration of symptoms and functional outcomes before and after surgery. CONCLUSION: We concluded that manual tea harvesting might be an occupational risk factor for work-related CTS development. Surgical treatment of CTS among manual tea harvesters revealed satisfactory results.

Injuries caused by venomous animals and folk medicine in farmers from Cuité, State of Paraiba, Northeast of Brazil.

Injuries caused by venomous animals reported by the agricultural workers from the municipality of Cuité, Curimataú region of Paraiba State, Northeast of Brazil, and the practices of folk medicine which they use to treat these cases were studied in this work from June to August 2010. The farmers studied aged from 11 to 90 years. The number of people who reported cases of injury by these animals in their families was high (89.3%). Scorpions, wasps, bees and snakes were the most cited and the extremities of the body (hands, feet, legs and head) were the most affected. The practice of folk medicine to treat these injuries includes various procedures ranging from ritualistic treatments, use of animals or parts of them, and some herbal preparations. The folk treatment was reported as effective by most of the workers injured (63.9%). Body parts of dead snakes are used in various zootherapic treatments. In the imaginary of the agricultural workers the venomous animals are considered hazardous (48.7%) or disgusting (11.3%), and several parts of such animals as the rattle, bee sting or snake leather are used as amulet. Several legends have also been reported about snakes, scorpions and bees. The need for educational activities that aim to clarify these workers about the dangers of such practices is urgent.

Incidence of anaemia among the female tea garden workers in a tea plantation in upper Assam, India.

Nutritional anaemia is the most common type and cause of anaemia. Tea garden workers constitute approximately 1/5th of population in the state of Assam. Reports indicate higher prevalence of undernutrition in this population. The present study was designed to focus on the incidence of anaemia among the female tea garden workers and to examine the effect of iron with vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation in them. Two hundred and forty-four female tea garden workers who could be persuaded to participate in the study were sampled for haemoglobin typing by agarose gel electrophoresis (pH 8.9). Their haematological parameters were measured on automated cell counter to read Hb, RBC, MCV, MCH and MCHC. BMI was calculated from weight/height in metre2. The study revealed 182 anaemic (<11.0 g/dl) subjects which included 32 cases of hereditary anaemia and 150 cases of nutritional anaemia. Iron supplementation for duration of 3 months was given to 150 workers out of total 182 subjects who had haemoglobin <11.0 g/dl. Thirteen subjects with haemoglobin >11.0 g/dl were studied as controls. Level of haemoglobin was rechecked after 3 months by Sahli's method. Based on the size of red blood cells it was observed that the workers suffered from all three forms of anaemia viz, microcytic, normocytic and macrocytic. There was a significant rise in haemoglobin concentration when the anaemic individuals took iron with vitamin B12 and folic acid supplement for three consecutive months supported by two doses of anthelminthic drug. The present study showed that nutritional anaemia is a major problem in the female tea garden workers and arrangement of supplementation therapy is utmost necessary to improve their general condition and work efficiency.

Factores de riesgo cardiovascular y de enfermedades crónicas en población caficultora / Risk factors for cardiovascular and chronic diseases in a coffee-growing population

Objetivos: Estimar la prevalencia de los factores de riesgo cardiovascular y de enfermedades crónicas en población caficultora colombiana. Métodos: Estudio transversal, entre febrero y noviembre de 2007. Muestreo multietápico y por conglomerados, 55 veredas de 13 municipios, 2 516 encuestas. Cuestionarios recomendados por OPS, mediciones antropométricas y bioquímicas. Análisis descriptivos univariados y bivariados, IC95%, pruebas de significan-cia, comparación con estudios previos. Resultados: La prevalencia de fumadores actuales fue 21,1 % (IC95%: 19,2-23,3), sedentarismo 31,2 % (IC95%: 27,8-32,6), personas que consumen al día menos de 5 porciones entre frutas y verduras 86,3 % (IC95%: 84,4-87,9), consumo eleva-do de alcohol 2,2 % (IC95%: 1,6-3,2), hipertensión arterial 26,2 % (IC95%: 23,9-28,6), diabetes 4,6 % (IC95%: 3,6-5,8), hiperlipidemia 62,1 % (IC95%: 59,5-64,7), sobrepeso y obesidad 42,9 % (IC95%: 40,4-45,5). El 85 % tenían al menos 2 o más factores de riesgo simultáneamente. Sedentarismo, diabetes, hiperlipidemia y sobrepeso/obesidad fue mayor en mujeres (p<0,001). Consumo de alcohol y taba-quismo fue mayor en hombres (p<0,001). Edad, estado civil, educación, ingresos y sistema de salud estuvieron relacionados con los factores de riesgo estudiados. Conclusiones: Se aportan nuevos conocimientos a la escasa información disponi-ble en poblaciones rurales latinoamericanas. En comparación con el segundo es-tudio nacional de factores de riesgo de enfermedades crónicas (ENFREC II) no se encontraron avances importantes en disminución de la prevalencia de factores de riesgo. Se requieren estudios adicionales para profundizar en los determinantes sociales y de los sistemas de salud, que expliquen los hallazgos de este estudio.

Objectives: Estimating the prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic disease risk factors in a Colombian coffee-growing population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from February to November 2007. Multistage conglomerate sampling of 55 rural areas in 13 municipalities led to 516 people being surveyed. The questionnaires used were recommended by PAHO (anthropometric and biochemical measurements). The resulting data was subjected to univariate and bivariate descriptive analysis using 95 % CI, significan-ce tests and comparison with previous studies. Results: There was 21.1 % (19.2-23.3 95 %CI) current smoker prevalence, 31.2 % sedentarism (27.8-32.6 95 % CI), 86.3 % people consumed less than 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day (84.4-87.9 95 % CI), 2.2 % had high alcohol con-sumption level (1.6-3.2 95 %CI), 26.2 % suffered from hypertension (23.9-28.6 95 % CI), 4.6 % diabetes (3.6-5.8 95 % CI), 62.1 % hyperlipidaemia (59.5-64.7 95 % CI) and 42.9 % (40.4-45.5 95 % CI) were overweight or obese. 85 % had at least 2 or more risk factors simultaneously. Sedentarism, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and being overweight /obese was greater in females (p<0.001). Alcohol consumption and smoking were greater in males (p<0.001). Age, civil state, education, income and health system were related to the risk factors being studied. Conclusions: The study provided fresh knowledge concerning the lack of available information regarding rural Latin-American populations. Compared to the second Colombian study of chronic disease risk factors (ENFREC II), no important ad-vances were found regarding a reduction of the prevalence of risk factors. Further studies are required for going deeper into social determinants and health systems explaining this study's findings.

[Risk factors for cardiovascular and chronic diseases in a coffee-growing population]. / Factores de riesgo cardiovascular y de enfermedades crónicas en población caficultora.

OBJECTIVES: Estimating the prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic disease risk factors in a Colombian coffee-growing population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out from February to November 2007. Multistage conglomerate sampling of 55 rural areas in 13 municipalities led to 516 people being surveyed. The questionnaires used were recommended by PAHO (anthropometric and biochemical measurements). The resulting data was subjected to univariate and bivariate descriptive analysis using 95 % CI, significance tests and comparison with previous studies. RESULTS: There was 21.1 % (19.2-23.3 95 %CI) current smoker prevalence, 31.2 % sedentarism (27.8-32.6 95 % CI), 86.3 % people consumed less than 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day (84.4-87.9 95 % CI), 2.2 % had high alcohol consumption level (1.6-3.2 95 %CI), 26.2 % suffered from hypertension (23.9-28.6 95 % CI), 4.6 % diabetes (3.6-5.8 95 % CI), 62.1 % hyperlipidaemia (59.5-64.7 95 % CI) and 42.9 % (40.4-45.5 95 % CI) were overweight or obese. 85 % had at least 2 or more risk factors simultaneously. Sedentarism, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and being overweight /obese was greater in females (p<0.001). Alcohol consumption and smoking were greater in males (p<0.001). Age, civil state, education, income and health system were related to the risk factors being studied. CONCLUSIONS: The study provided fresh knowledge concerning the lack of available information regarding rural Latin-American populations. Compared to the second Colombian study of chronic disease risk factors (ENFREC II), no important advances were found regarding a reduction of the prevalence of risk factors. Further studies are required for going deeper into social determinants and health systems explaining this study's findings.

Study of pulmonary functions in tea industry workers in North Bengal.

This study was intended to compare pulmonary function parameters in tea garden factory workers who are on chronic exposure to tea dust with tea garden plantation workers on the basis of dynamic ventilatory pulmonary function tests. The pulmonary function tests done on 128 subjects included 64 tea garden factory workers and 64 tea garden plantation workers. In tea factory workers the values of vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced expiratory volume in first 0.75 second (FEV0.75), FEV1/FVC%, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were found significantly lower (p < 0.001) than those of tea garden plantation workers. It may be concluded that pulmonary functions are more affected in tea factory workers than those of tea plantation workers.

Rhinitis associated with pesticide use among private pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study.

Farmers commonly experience rhinitis but the risk factors are not well characterized. The aim of this study was to analyze cross-sectional data on rhinitis in the past year and pesticide use from 21,958 Iowa and North Carolina farmers in the Agricultural Health Study, enrolled 1993-1997, to evaluate pesticide predictors of rhinitis. Polytomous and logistic regression models were used to assess association between pesticide use and rhinitis while controlling for demographics and farm-related exposures. Sixty-seven percent of farmers reported current rhinitis and 39% reported 3 or more rhinitis episodes. The herbicides glyphosate [odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.05-1.13] and petroleum oil (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.05-1.19) were associated with current rhinitis and increased rhinitis episodes. Of the insecticides, four organophosphates (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dichlorvos, and malathion), carbaryl, and use of permethrin on animals were predictors of current rhinitis. Diazinon was significant in the overall polytomous model and was associated with an elevated OR of 13+ rhinitis episodes (13+ episodes OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.09-1.38). The fungicide captan was also a significant predictor of rhinitis. Use of petroleum oil, use of malathion, use of permethrin, and use of the herbicide metolachlor were significant in exposure-response polytomous models. Specific pesticides may contribute to rhinitis in farmers; agricultural activities did not explain these findings.

Occupational injury and treatment patterns of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are thought to be at increased risk for occupational injury and illness. Past surveillance efforts that employed medical chart review may not be representative of all farmworkers, since the proportion of farmworkers using migrant health centers (MHCs) and area hospital emergency rooms (ERs) was unknown. The purpose of the current study was to determine the proportion of workers using MHCs versus other sources of occupational health care, and to use these data to correct previous occupational injury and illness rate estimates. Researchers conducted a survey of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in two sites: the Finger Lakes Region of New York and the apple, broccoli, and blueberry regions of Maine. Researchers also conducted MHC and ER medical chart reviews in these regions for comparison purposes. Proportions of occupational morbidity by treatment location were calculated from the survey, and a correction factor was computed to adjust chart review morbidity estimates for Maine and New York State. Among 1103 subjects, 56 work-related injuries were reported: 30 (53.6%) were treated at a MHC, 8 (14.3%) at an ER, 9 (16.1%) at some other location (e.g., home, relative, chiropractor), and 9 (16.1%) were untreated. Mechanisms of injuries treated at MHCs versus all other sources did not differ significantly. The survey-based multiplier (1.87) was applied to previous statewide MHC chart review injury counts from Maine and New York. The corrected injury rates were 7.9 per 100 full-time equivalents (FTE) per year in Maine, and 11.7 per 100 FTE in New York. A chart-review based surveillance system, combined with a correction factor, may provide an effective method of estimating occupational illness and injury rates in this population.