Exploring workplace TB interventions with foreign-born Latino workers

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Am J Ind Med
• Personal Author:
  Eggerth, Donald E. ; Keller, Brenna M. ; Flynn, Michael A.
• 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.
• Keywords:
  • education
  • Latino workers
  • occupational health
  • training
  • tuberculosis
• Source:
  Am J Ind Med.
• Pubmed ID:
  29766527
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC6237664
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/60723/cdc_60723_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 78.89 KB]
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:15f7e93b889d344115fb54037ead7e03b356eea61dbedd0f2c6feb6e43f7de1c