title: Health, occupational and environmental risks of emancipated migrant farmworker youth.
abstract: This study examines the perceptions of health, health seeking behavior, access to information and resources, work related hazards, substance abuse, and social support of emancipated migrant youth (EMY) who come to the United States without their families to work.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were performed with EMY living without their families in Santa Clara County, California. Interviews were digitally recorded in Spanish, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed by a five-person analysis team.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven interviews were conducted with 29 participants. Work was identified as the overarching priority of the EMY Their greatest concern was becoming sick and unable to work. They described their work environment as demanding and stressful, but felt obliged to work regardless of conditions. Alcohol and drug abuse were reported as prevalent problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emancipated migrant youth are a vulnerable population who have significant occupational stress, hazardous environmental exposures, social isolation, and drug/alcohol abuse.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, 725 Welch Road, Mail Code 5906, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. jpeoples@stanford.edu
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Peoples
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lamas
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dunlap
authors.forename: Priscilla A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Sarah McCue
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Horwitz
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000383:Agriculture; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012306:Risk; D012934:Social Isolation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D055815:Young Adult