Skin-related quality of life among migrant farmworkers.
BACKGROUND
Farmworkers in North America work in an environment likely to produce skin injuries and illnesses that affect quality of life (QOL).


OBJECTIVE
We identified the dimensions of skin-related QOL that were most impaired and examined predictors in a cohort of North Carolina farmworkers.


METHODS
We conducted a longitudinal survey of 304 Latino farmworkers across a work season (1,048 interviews). We assessed skin-related QOL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index.


RESULTS
Effects on QOL were reported in 38.7% of observations. The greatest impacts of skin impairments were seen in the Symptoms and Feelings and Work and School Subscales. In multivariate analysis, specific work tasks and high temperatures were associated with greater decrements in QOL.


CONCLUSIONS
Skin disease among farmworkers is sufficiently severe to affect QOL. Future research should test the effectiveness of interventions on modifiable factors such as facilities for personal hygiene and field sanitation on skin-related QOL.
Quandt
Sara A
SA
Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063, USA. squandt@wfubmc.edu
Schulz
Mark R
MR
Vallejos
Quirina M
QM
Feldman
Steven R
SR
Preisser
John S
JS
Arcury
Thomas A
TA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014171:Transients and Migrants