Essential(ly Forgotten) Workers: Latine Youth Farmworkers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Details

• Personal Author:
  Arcury TA ; Arnold TJ ; Arvizu JAR ; Echeverria SE ; Morrison SD ; Quandt SA ; Romero MYM ; Torres-Lara F ; Zapata S
• Description:
  Background: Essential workers across multiple industries faced a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects were especially severe for agricultural and food processing workers, many of whom are members of the structurally vulnerable Latine community. Under current U.S. federal laws, children under 12 years old can legally work in agriculture, one of the most hazardous U.S. industries. Many of these working youth are Latine and experience health and educational inequities. Methods: Using a community-based participatory research approach and a qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews in North Carolina in 2022, with service providers in health, education, and advocacy fields (n = 10) and Latine youth farmworkers aged 10-17 (n = 24). We used participatory qualitative analysis methods and a reflexive thematic analysis to understand and describe the work experiences of these youth during the first 2 years of the pandemic. Results: Amidst precarious economic and school situations exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, many youths described an increased need to work to support their families. While aware and sometimes fearful of the added occupational health risks of COVID-19, youth and their families felt they had few other options. Service providers and youth described minimal employer-provided safety protocols or equipment, yet some workers organized their own attempts at safety protocols. Youth narratives imply limited knowledge of basic workplace safety requirements. Conclusions: Study findings emphasize the urgent need to address structural vulnerabilities shaping workplace policies and norms to protect Latine youth farmworkers to support their healthy development. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Communicable Diseases Farmers Food-Processing Industry Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Workers Author Keywords: Agricultural Health Child Labor Children Community Based COVID-19 Essential Workers Farm Workers Food Processing Workers Health Equity Latino/Hispanic Occupational Safety And Health Policy Young Workers Youth Farmworkers

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; North Carolina
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  67
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070218
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2024 Dec; 67(12):1121-1134
• Contact Point Address:
  Taylor J. Arnold, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
• Email:
  tjarnold@wakehealth.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20080930
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  20250929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:29a06e466296572393c556224d4a87bd7d46840c28475240ace89e12403d4dea92f6346856799f5bd98bed4a9deb71832c8cfffca9a0d91a3a7dc1278e81ab7b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208471/cdc_208471_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 827.46 KB ]