Cardiovascular disease risk factors among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Migrant and seasonal (MS) farmworkers are an important component of the US economy. Their unique occupational health concerns have garnered research, but chronic disease research in this population is lacking. It is unclear whether health differences exist between migrant (those who migrate to and travel a distance from the home environment and thus live in temporary housing for the purpose of employment) and seasonal workers (those who work in the agricultural industry on a seasonal basis, whose long-term home environments are often near work locations and thus may be considered more "settled"), since most research presents MS farmworkers as a homogenous group. This study explored potential differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors, (i.e., diabetes, current smoking, obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia) by sex and MS status among a sample of 282 English- and Spanish- speaking Latino MS farmworkers in the Midwest using cross-sectional survey and clinical laboratory data. Results showed that in multivariate logistic regression analyses, migrant workers (odds ratio [OR] = 2.15) had a higher likelihood of being obese compared with seasonal workers (P < .05). MS farmworkers did not differ in likelihood of smoking, diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia. In adjusted analyses, females were more likely to be obese (OR = 3.29) and have diabetes (OR = 4.74) compared with males (P < .05); and males were more likely to be current smokers (OR = 7.50) as compared with females (P < .05). This study provides insight into chronic health concerns among this predominantly Latino farmworker population and suggests that future prevention and intervention research may need to focus on sex differences rather than MS farmworker status.

Dimensions of community and organizational readiness for change.

BACKGROUND: Readiness can influence whether health interventions are implemented in, and ultimately integrated into, communities. Although there is significant research interest in readiness and capacity for change, the measurement of these constructs is still in its infancy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review was to integrate existing assessment models of community and organizational readiness. DATA SOURCES: The database PubMed was searched for articles; articles, book chapters, and practitioner guides identified as references cited in the list of core articles. REVIEW METHODS: Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) Empirical research, (2) identified community or organizational readiness for innovative health programming in the study's title, purpose, research questions, or hypotheses, and (3) identified methods to measure these constructs. Duplicate articles were deleted and measures published before 1995 were excluded. The search yielded 150 studies; 13 met all criteria. RESULTS: This article presents the results of a critical review of 13 community and organizational readiness assessment models, stemming from articles, chapters, and practitioner's guides focusing on assessing, developing, and sustaining community and organizational readiness for innovative public health programs. CONCLUSIONS: Readiness is multidimensional and different models place emphasis on different components of readiness, such as (1) community and organizational climate that facilitates change, (2) attitudes and current efforts toward prevention, (3) commitment to change, and (4) capacity to implement change. When initiating the program planning process, it is essential to assess these four domains of readiness to determine how they apply to the nuances across different communities. Thus, community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships, in efforts to focus on public health problems, may consider using readiness assessments as a tool for tailoring intervention efforts to the needs of the community.

Breast and cervical cancer screening among rural midwestern latina migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

BACKGROUND: While cancer control and prevention efforts are well documented, limited information on this topic exists for Latina farmworkers in the rural Midwest. This study sought to examine correlates of breast cancer and cervical cancer screening practices of English- and Spanish-speaking Latina farmworkers in Michigan. METHODS: Survey and anthropometric data were collected from a community-based cross-sectional sample of 173 Latina agricultural laborers in Michigan. Psychosocial-cultural and socioeconomic variables were examined as predictors of mammography and Papanicolaou screening. FINDINGS: Results showed that individual characteristics that were significantly associated with having a Papanicolaou examination in the last 12 months included having higher language-based acculturation (odds ratio = 3.81), having ever done a breast self-examination (odds ratio = 2.82), and having health insurance (odds ratio = 5.58). CONCLUSIONS: Acculturation, insurance, and performance of breast self-examination were key correlates of recent cervical cancer screening among Midwest Latina farmworkers. Findings suggest that education and targeted outreach strategies for Spanish-speaking Latina farmworker women in rural settings are urgently needed.