Migrant Health Facts

1
Migrant Health Facts

• Alberto Moreno, MSW
• Migrant Health Coordinator
• Department of Human Services

2
How are the issues faced by Migrant Workers
relevant to me?

• Eating is an agricultural act.
• -Wendell Berry, Writer and Farmer

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Latinos in the US

• There are 37 million Latinos in the US
• 21 million of these are of Mexican origin
• According to the California Policy Research
  Center, University of California, 2003

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Latinos in the US

• Represent 580 billion in buying power-
• 2002 US Census and Selig Center for Economic
  Growth at the University of Georgia

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Latinos in the US

• Undocumented workers generate goods and services
  worth more than 120 billion a year in the US
• -2002 US Census and Selig Center for Economic
  Growth at the University of Georgia

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Latinos in the US

• Documented and Undocumented Mexican Immigrants
  pay 25 30 billion in taxes each year.
• -California Policy Research Center, University
  of California, 2003

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Latinos in the U.S.

• Although Latinos clearly make substantial
  contributions to the US economy, this highly
  productive community has some of the worst health
  outcomes.
• For example

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Latinos in the U.S.

• 1.2 Million Mexicans in the US have been
  diagnosed with diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of
  death among Latinos nationwide
• -California Policy Research Center, University of
  California, 2003

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Latinos in the U.S.

• Despite high levels of employment, nearly 60 of
  Latinos live in families with incomes below 200
  of the poverty level, compared to 23 of whites
• -California Policy Research Center, University of
  California, 2003

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Migrant Workers in U.S.

• In the United States, 70 of the
  agricultural-worker population does not have
  health insurance
• National Center for Farmworker Health.
  1999(www.ncfh.org)

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Migrant Workers in U.S.

• 81 of all farmworkers in 1997 were foreign-born
• 77 of all farmworkers were Mexican-born
• 61 had incomes below the poverty level
• Median income of individual farmworkers has
  remained less than 7,500 per year
• National Agricultural Workers Survey, U.S.
  Department of Labor, March 2000

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• Five out of six Farmworkers spoke Spanish (84)
• Farmworkers had on average completed six years of
  education
• Just one tenth of foreign born Farmworkers spoke
  or read English Fluently
• -National Agricultural Workers Survey,
  Department of Labor 1997

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• Less than 5 of Mexican-born and other
  Latin-American born Farmworkers reported they
  could read and speak English well
• 52 of hired Farmworkers lacked work
  authorization (making them weary of seeking out
  state sponsored services)
• Just 5 reported being covered by employer
  provided health insurance
• -National Agricultural Workers Survey,
  Department of Labor 1997

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• Commonly reported health problems among Migrant
  Farmworkers and their children include lower
  height and weight, respiratory disease, parasitic
  conditions, skin infection, chronic diarrhea,
  vitamin A deficiency, accidental injury,
  heat-related illness, and chemical poisoning
• -Reducing Pesticide Exposure in Minority
  Families, OHSU

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• Most incidents of pesticide poisoning go
  unreported as they are mistaken for flu or
  because workers may fear losing their jobs if
  they report.

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• United Farmworkers estimates that approximately
  800,000 children under the age of 18 work in
  agriculture in the US

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• According to the General Accounting Office
  (1992) farm work is the most dangerous occupation
  in the US

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• Farmworkers dental health is that of a third
  world population
• -League of Women Voters, Farmworkers in Oregon
  Report, Fall 2000

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Migrant Workers in U.S.

• 100,000 Children are injured and 100 are killed
  in farm work yearly
• -National Institute for Occupational Safety and
  Health

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Migrant Farmworkers in U.S.

• The life expectancy of Migrant Farmworkers is 49
  years compared to the national average of 73
• -Center for Disease Control, 1998

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The Health of Agriculture in Oregon

• In 1998, 894,386 cases of wine were sold. In 1999
  17,000 metric tons of wine grapes were produced,
  worth over 23 million
• -Oregon USDA Statistics, 1998

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The Health of Agriculture in Oregon

• In 1998 Oregons nursery and greenhouse
  industries totaled 532 million in sales. This
  marks the 8th consecutive year of record sales
• -Oregon USDA Statistics, 1998

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The Health of Agriculture in Oregon

• Total Oregon production value of vegetables,
  fruits, and nuts in 1999 was over 569 million,
  the 5th highest in the US
• -Oregon USDA Statistics, 1998

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The Health of Agriculture in Oregon

• Oregon, however, tips the nation in prevalence of
  hunger and was tied for 4th worst nationally, in
  ranking for food insecurity
• -2000 Oregon Food Bank

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Migrant Workers in Oregon

• According to the Oregon Migrant and Seasonal
  Farmworker Enumeration Profiles Study completed
  by Alice Larson, Ph.D., September, 2002

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Migrant Workers in Oregon

• The Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker population is
  estimated at 174,484. This number includes
  workers and their dependents

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Migrant Workers in Oregon

• There are 14,588 Migrant Children and Youth
• There are 44,905 Seasonal Children and youth

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Migrant Workers in Oregon

• In Oregon, Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers are
  integral to creating over 3 billion of annual
  agricultural economic activity
• -1999 Oregon USDA

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The Health of Migrant Workers in Oregon

• According to a Farmworkers in Oregon 2000
  Report published by the League of Women Voters
• More than 40 of all Farmworkers who visit health
  clinics have multiple and complex health
  problems. Because of limited access to health
  care, Farmworkers often are seen only when their
  health problems are at an advanced stage.

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The Health of Migrant Workers in Oregon

• Young (2/3 are under age 35)
• 80 Male
• Hispanic (90 Hispanic, mostly from Mexico)
• Low income (half of the workers earned less than
  7,500 a year)
• -League of Women voters in Oregon report, Fall
  2000

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The Health of Migrant Workers in Oregon

• Obtaining regular prenatal care for Migrant
  mothers is difficult and many pregnancies are
  high risk
• -Oregon CD Summary, Health Issue Among Migrant
  and Seasonal Farmworkers,1999

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The Health of Migrant Workers in Oregon

• Oregon currently does not offer prenatal care to
  undocumented women. Washington and California do.
• The infant mortality rate among Migrant Workers
  is 25 higher than the general population(Reducing
  Pesticide Exposure in Minority Families, OHSU,
  2003)

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The Health of Migrant Workers in Oregon

• Migrant Farmworkers are among the most
  disadvantaged, medically indigent persons and
  have the poorest health of any group in the US
• -Reducing Pesticide Exposure in Minority
  Families, OHSU

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Daniel Rothenberg reminds us

• The apparent invisibility of production is a
  form of social forgetting, a politics of glossing
  over the real social and economic relations that
  allow for our high standard of living.
  Considering the world of farm laborers presents a
  powerful corrective to a society easily enamored
  with its own self-serving myths. Still, it is
  Americans deep rooted desire to believe in
  equality and the march of progress that makes
  farmworkers situation so poignant, creating a
  discomfort born of our countrys failure to live
  up to its own ideals.