Classification of Heat-Related Illness Symptoms Among Florida Farmworkers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Economos E ; Elon L ; Flocks J ; McCauley LA ; Mix J ; Mutic A ; Tovar A
• Description:
  Background and Objective: Farmworkers frequently working in hot and humid environments and have an increased risk of heat-related illness (HRI) if their thermoregulatory capabilities are overwhelmed. The manifestation of heat-related physiologic symptoms can escalate into life-threatening events. We compare HRI symptoms experienced by farmworkers working in three Florida communities. Methods: A total of 198 farmworkers were asked to recall if they experienced seven HRI symptoms during the previous workweek and then at the end of three successive workdays. Latent class analysis was used to identify classes of reported symptoms representing the range of HRI severity. Results: The mean age (+/- SD) of farmworkers was 38.0 (+/- 8) years; the majority were female (60%) and Hispanic (86%). The most frequently reported symptoms were heavy sweating (66%), headache (58%), dizziness (32%), and muscle cramps (30%). Females were three times more likely to report experiencing three or more symptoms (OR=3.02, 95%CI: 1.23 - 7.43). The three latent classes of symptoms for the previous workweek recall were: mild (sweating; class probability=.54), moderate (sweating, headache, nausea, and dizziness; class probability=.24) and severe (sweating, headache, nausea, dizziness, sudden muscle cramps; class probability=.22). Cluster composition was similar for symptoms reported during the monitored workweek. Conclusion: Farmworkers reported a high burden of HRI symptoms that appear to cluster in physiologic patterns. Unrecognized accumulation of symptoms can escalate into life-threatening situations. Our research can inform interventions to promote early recognition of HRI, on-site care, and appropriate occupational health and climate change policy. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Farmers Hot Temperature Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Workers Author Keywords: Environmental Health Sciences Farm Workers Heat Exposure Hot Environments Occupational Health And Safety Public Health Or Related Nursing Public Health Or Related Research
• Publisher:
  American Public Health Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Georgia ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070664
• Citation:
  Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now, APHA 145th Annual Meeting and Exposition, November 4-8, 2017, Atlanta, Georgia. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 2017 Nov; :386090
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Florida, Gainesville
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20160930
• Source Full Name:
  Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now, APHA 145th Annual Meeting and Exposition, November 4-8, 2017, Atlanta, Georgia
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:93b65cf5c8bda9a26972e5d2ba880fd33d41fdad429373a76a8386ee0b9d799fed01793b96f680faa0626c67168db239e0b3a0f5a80bfe1034d28061d50a1651
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208840/cdc_208840_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 59.30 KB ]