title: Female farmworkers' perceptions of pesticide exposure and pregnancy health.
abstract: Occupational pesticide exposure may be hazardous to pregnant farmworkers, yet few studies have focused on the health of female farmworkers distinct from their male counterparts or on the impact of agricultural work tasks on pregnancy outcomes. In the current community-based participatory research study, researchers conducted five focus groups with female nursery and fernery workers in Central Florida to enhance knowledge of attitudes about occupational risks and pregnancy health and to gather qualitative data to help form a survey instrument. This article presents the results from questions focused on pesticide exposure and its impact on general, reproductive, pregnancy, and fetal health. Workers reported a belief that pesticide exposure could be hazardous to pregnancy health; descriptions of symptoms and health concerns believed to be related to farmwork and to pesticide exposure; and descriptions of barriers preventing them from practicing safer occupational behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Center for Governmental Responsibility, Levin College of Law, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7629, USA. flocks@law.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flocks
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Economos
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCauley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control; D010575:Pesticides / Q000506:poisoning*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides
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