Exploring Workplace TB Interventions with Foreign-Born Latino Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Eggerth DE ; Flynn MA ; Keller BM
• Description:
  Background: Persons born outside the United States are more likely to be diagnosed with tuberculosis disease (TB) than native-born individuals. Foreign-born Latinos at risk of TB may be difficult to reach with public health interventions due to cultural and institutional barriers. Workplaces employing large concentrations of foreign-born Latinos may be useful locations for TB interventions targeting this high-risk population. Method: This study used a two-phase approach to investigate the feasibility of workplace TB interventions. The first phase investigated employer knowledge of TB and receptiveness to allowing TB interventions in their businesses through 5 structured interviews. The second phase investigated foreign-born workers' knowledge of TB and their receptiveness to receiving TB interventions in their places of employment through 12 focus groups stratified by gender and education. Results: Phase 1: Only 1 of the 5 employers interviewed had a high level of knowledge about TB, and three had no knowledge other than that TB was a disease that involved coughing. They were receptive to workplace TB interventions, but were concerned about lost productivity and customers finding out if an employee had TB. Phase 2: There was no observed differences in responses between gender and between the bottom two education groups, so the final analysis took place between a gender-combined lower education group and higher education group. The higher education group tended to have knowledge that was more accurate and to view TB as a disease associated with poverty. The lower education group tended to have more misconceptions about TB and more often expressed concern that their employers would not support worksite interventions. Conclusions: The results from both phases indicate that more TB education is needed among both foreign-born Latino workers and their employers. Obstacles to implementing workplace TB interventions include knowledge, potential productivity loss, employer liability, and perceived customer response. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Education Emigration And Immigration Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Tuberculosis
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Education Immigrant Workers Latino Workers Occupational Health TB Training Workers
• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  61
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051551
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2018 Aug; 61(8):649-657
• Contact Point Address:
  Donald E. Eggerth, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave. M/S C-10, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  dfe0@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6331ef3694aa3e31f53fea65238fa1d6b82ebf746435d49b372a6cb2813ce7a8b80f3a1f983372bacaf350bce453d69868413447803ebb26839acb32813b4f48
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211448/cdc_211448_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 384.19 KB ]