Common skin disorders seen in the migrant farmworker health care clinic setting.
BACKGROUND
Skin diseases are common occupational illnesses for farmworkers. Migrant farmworkers commonly access rural health clinics for diagnosis and treatment of skin disease.


OBJECTIVE
To assess common skin conditions of migrant farmworkers treated in rural clinics and to describe effective and economic management of these conditions.


METHODS
Seventy-nine farmworkers with a skin condition were seen as patients at 4 clinics in eastern North Carolina. A list of the most common conditions encountered was compiled and treatment methods were found in the literature.


RESULTS
Twenty-three common conditions were identified. The most common conditions were contact dermatitis, melasma, tinea, seborrheic keratoses, and impetigo. A table of treatment recommendations was composed that can be used by clinicians in this setting.


CONCLUSIONS
Generally, the most common skin conditions seen in the migrant farmworker population in eastern North Carolina are similar to conditions found in the general population.
Hinckley
Michael
M
Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Feldman
Steven R
SR
Fleischer
Alan B
AB
Vallejos
Quirina M
QM
Whalley
Lara E
LE
Quandt
Sara A
SA
Heck
Judy
J
Cabral
Gonzalo
G
Brooks
Thanh
T
Schulz
Mark R
MR
Arcury
Thomas A
TA
D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000383:Agriculture; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012423:Rural Health; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078329:Workforce