title: Cooking and eating facilities in migrant farmworker housing in North Carolina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to (1) describe observed cooking and eating facilities in migrant farmworker camps, (2) compare observed conditions with existing farmworker housing regulations, and (3) examine associations of violations with camp characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data in 182 farmworker camps in eastern North Carolina during the 2010 agricultural season. We compared our observations with 15 kitchen-related housing regulations specified by federal and state housing standards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed violations of 8 regulations in at least 10% of camps: improper refrigerator temperature (65.5%), cockroach infestation (45.9%), contaminated water (34.4%), rodent infestation (28.9%), improper flooring (25.8%), unsanitary conditions (21.2%), improper fire extinguisher (19.9%), and holes or leaks in walls (12.1%). Logistic regression showed that violations were related to the time of the agricultural season, housing type, number of dwellings and residents, and presence of workers with H-2A visas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cooking and eating facilities for migrant farmworkers fail to comply with regulations in a substantial number of camps. Greater enforcement of regulations, particularly during occupancy during the agricultural season, is needed to protect farmworkers.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. squandt@wakehealth.edu
authors: Sara A
authors: SA
authors: Quandt
authors: Phillip
authors: P
authors: Summers
authors: Werner E
authors: WE
authors: Bischoff
authors: Haiying
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Melinda F
authors: MF
authors: Wiggins
authors: Chaya R
authors: CR
authors: Spears
authors: Thomas A
authors: TA
authors: Arcury
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003296:Cooking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D006798:Housing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000078329:Workforce