title: Dermatologist-diagnosed skin diseases among immigrant Latino poultry processors and other manual workers in North Carolina, USA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immigrant Latino workers represent an expanding workforce in rural areas of the USA, where their employment is concentrated in occupations such as poultry processing that entail chemical, infectious, and mechanical skin exposures. Occupation-related skin illnesses in this vulnerable population are not well characterized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to describe the prevalences of skin diseases among immigrant Latino poultry processors and other manual workers in North Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-based sampling was used to recruit 742 immigrant Latino workers, 518 of whom underwent a physical examination supervised by a board-certified dermatologist. The presence or absence of skin disease on the face, neck, arms, hands, and feet was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Workers ranged in age from 18 years to 68 years. Slightly over half of the sample were male (52.6%). Poultry workers represented 55.8% of the study sample. Infectious skin diseases were the most common diagnosis, present in 52.3% of workers. Inflammatory skin diseases were present in 28.2% and pigmentary disorders in 21.8% of workers. The most common skin conditions were tinea pedis (37.6%), onychomycosis (31.9%), scars (13.7%), acne (11.8%), and melasma (9.3%). Age, sex, first language, and work as a poultry processor accounted in part for the prevalence of these diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several skin diseases are highly prevalent in immigrant Latino workers and may relate to work environment. These may impair the quality of life of these workers and predispose them to further illness.
authors: Department of DermatologyDepartment of Family and Community MedicineDivision of Public Health Sciences, Department of Biostatistical Sciences, andDivision of Public Health Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USADepartment of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Pichardo-Geisinger
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Muñoz-Ali
authors: Thomas A
authors: TA
authors: Arcury
authors: Jill N
authors: JN
authors: Blocker
authors: Joseph G
authors: JG
authors: Grzywacz
authors: Dana C
authors: DC
authors: Mora
authors: Haiying
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Mark R
authors: MR
authors: Schulz
authors: Steve R
authors: SR
authors: Feldman
authors: Sara A
authors: SA
authors: Quandt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003880:Dermatology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011200:Poultry; D015995:Prevalence; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult