title: Occupational eye injuries experienced by migrant farmworkers.
abstract: Migrant farmworkers in North Carolina (n = 300) reported eye injuries, circumstances of injuries, and outcomes during lifetime U.S. agriculture work. Seventeen injuries were reported by 15 farmworkers; five resulted in lost work time. Most reported injuries were penetrating or open wounds, often caused by branches or other foreign objects. Injuries were seldom reported to employers; and treatment at clinics, when received, was often delayed. The incidence rate of lost work-time injuries of 23.8/10,000 worker years (95% confidence interval 7.5, 55.9), exceeds the 2009 national incidence rate (6.9/10,000). Migrant farmworkers constitute a vulnerable population; better occupational safety protections should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. squandt@wakehealth.edu
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Jennifer W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Talton
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D016272:Occupational Health; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D000078329:Workforce