Occupational Injuries of Immigrant Poultry Workers: Development and Progression

Details

• Personal Author:
  Arcury TA ; Cartwright MS ; Chen H ; Feldman S ; Grzywacz JG ; Pichardo R ; Quandt SA ; Rosenbaum D ; Schulz MR ; Walker FO
• Description:
  U.S. poultry processing workers experience a disproportionate share of occupational injuries and illness compared to workers in other industries. Recent trends in this industry have resulted in a worker population that is poor, minority, and increasingly comprised of immigrants. Little research documents the onset of occupational injuries among immigrants in the poultry processing industry, the progression of these occupational injuries, or the occupational and personal characteristics associated with these occupational injuries. The overall goal of this research study was to document the nature and sources of occupational injuries among minority poultry processing workers. It followed several years of community participatory research by this team with workers in the target communities, in which a sampling frame had been developed. The specific aims were: (1) to compare the prevalence of selected musculoskeletal (MSDs) and skin disorders among Latino poultry processing workers and controls (non-poultry, Latino manual laborers), and assess the mediating and moderating effects of occupational (task, shift), structural (income, education, access to healthcare), and sociocultural (ethnicity, beliefs, values, acculturation) factors on these disorders; (2) to document the development of selected MSDs and skin disorders and assess the mediating and moderating effects of occupational, structural, and socio-cultural factors on this development; (3) to delineate the impact of selected MSDs and skin disorders on workers' and controls' health-related quality of life, both cross-sectionally and over time; and (4) to determine the interpretation of occupational illness and injury symptomatology, self-care behaviors, and barriers to prevention, treatment seeking, and reporting among workers. These specific aims were achieved using a linked cohort and ethnographic design, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. A total of 742 workers were recruited for interviews: 406 immigrant poultry workers with experience in processing line work ≤ 3 yr and 336 controls. A total of 518 participated in physical examinations, which included nerve conduction, wrist ultrasound, dermatological examination, and musculoskeletal examination. Workers disease-free (for carpal tunnel and skin disease) were invited back for follow-up one year later. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emigration And Immigration Food Handling Food Industry Healthcare Disparities Minority Health Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety Skin Skin Diseases
• Keywords:
  Health Disparities Immigrant Workers Injuries Meat Handlers Minority Health MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Poultry Workers Skin Disorders Sociological Factors Worker Health

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• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; Oklahoma ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 6
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-285
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062311
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2022-100461
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R01-OH-009251, 2014 Dec; :1-285
• Contact Point Address:
  Sara A. Quandt, PhD, Dept. of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
• Email:
  squandt@wakehealth.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  Wake Forest University Health Sciences - Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090930
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20140929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1938e5061a7886be41281784984662a4d71f38c5a4cdd646716753b9b3588c4cd2a00e5fea0ca6defbce96942b88f007f194722f69ddff0ea2373d6fddefba25
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219048/cdc_219048_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.76 MB ]