Tobacco use among Mexican farmworkers working in tobacco: implications for agromedicine.
This survey evaluated tobacco use of migrant tobacco workers in eastern North Carolina. Sixty-nine (38%) out of 181 mostly male, Mexican farmworkers were smokers. Compared to non-smokers, three times more smokers reported alcohol use in the past week (p=0.002). More smokers compared to non-smokers reported poor to fair health, and fewer had worked previously in tobacco agriculture, but these differences were not statistically significant. Also not statistically significant, those smokers who were older and those who understood the most English smoked more cigarettes per day. Because farmworkers are exposed to many non-tobacco respiratory irritants, and because of the health risks of smoking, those who smoke should be urged to quit.
Spangler
John G
JG
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston -Salem, NC, 27157, USA. jspangle@wfubmc.edu
Arcury
Thomas A
TA
Quandt
Sara A
SA
Preisser
John S
JS
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*