title: The incidence of green tobacco sickness among Latino farmworkers.
abstract: We estimated the prevalence and incidence density (ID) and the risk factors of green tobacco sickness among minority farmworkers in North Carolina. Using a prospective surveillance design, 182 farmworkers were interviewed up to 5 times at biweekly intervals in 1999. The green tobacco sickness prevalence was 24.2%, whereas the ID was 1.88 days per 100 days worked. Greater work experience (5+ years, ID = 0.87; first year ID = 2.41) and tobacco use (ID of 1.18 vs 2.39) were negatively associated with green tobacco sickness. Task (e.g., priming ID, 4.04; topping ID, 1.86; barning ID, 0.62) and working in wet clothing (25% of workdays ID, 2.97; fewer than 25% of workdays ID, 1.29) had the largest effect. More effort must be directed toward preventing this occupational illness that affects workers who have little control over workplace safety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1084, USA. tarcury@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Preisser
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Norton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003020:Clothing / Q000009:adverse effects; D004244:Dizziness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000506:poisoning*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014839:Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014867:Water; D062789:Tobacco Products
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D009538:Nicotine