To conduct a prospective cohort study of occupational injury among migrant Hispanic farmworker families through a harvest season. Although an important body of research has accumulated for injury among farmers and agricultural workers in other areas of the U.S., there are no studies focusing on migrant farm workers. There are approximately 3 million migrant and seasonal farm workers and dependents in the U.S., and estimates of the population in California range from 600,000 to 1.2 million.
Farm workers tend to belong to ethnic and linguistic minorities.
Farm workers may be at increased risk of injury because they are most immediately involved in production tasks. Hazards include animals, machinery, chemicals, and dangerous environmental conditions. Contributing factors in this population include low educational status, poor English and literacy skills, and inadequate understanding of existing reporting and support structures such as Workers' Compensation. Finally, agriculture is unusual among industries in that law and custom allow family labor, putting children at risk for farm-related injuries. We propose a prospective cohort study of occupational injury among migrant Hispanic farm worker families through a harvest season.