title: Ethnic, racial, and gender variations in health among farm operators in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to collect baseline prevalence data on the health problems faced by minority, white, and female farm operators.
  
  
  METHODS
  An occupational health survey of farm operators was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service between February and August 2000. A stratified random sample of farm operators from 50 U.S. states based on the 1997 Census of Agriculture was selected for telephone interview. Interviews were primarily conducted using a computer assisted telephone instrument system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Population prevalences were calculated for 7137 farm operators. Prevalences were greatest for musculoskeletal discomfort, followed by respiratory problems, hearing loss, and hypertension. Generally, Latino and Asian American operators had lower prevalences for health problems than white non-Latino and white operators, respectively. African-American operators had greater prevalences for hypertension, and osteoarthritis, but lower prevalences for hearing loss, skin problems, heart problems, and cancer than white operators. American Indian or Alaska Native operators had higher prevalences for musculoskeletal problems, skin problems, and hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalences for the different ethnicity and race groups are not the same. Studies that combine racial and ethnic groups, or study only white and non-Latino farm operators may overestimate or underestimate the prevalence of health conditions in the entire farm operator population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45213, USA. talterman@cdc.gov <talterman@cdc.gov>
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alterman
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Steege
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muntaner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D000383:Agriculture; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology