1. How Does Environmental Temperature Affect Farmworkers’ Work Rates in the California Heat Illness Prevention Study?
- Author
-
Langer, Chelsea E, Armitage, Tracey L, Beckman, Stella, Tancredi, Daniel J, Mitchell, Diane C, and Schenker, Marc B
- Subjects
Epidemiology ,Public Health ,Health Sciences ,Clinical Research ,Prevention ,Humans ,Temperature ,Farmers ,Hot Temperature ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Occupational Exposure ,Heat Stress Disorders ,environmental temperature ,farmworkers ,heat illness ,work rate ,Nursing ,Public Health and Health Services ,Environmental & Occupational Health ,Human resources and industrial relations ,Public health - Abstract
ObjectiveEstimate the association between environmental temperature (wet bulb globe temperature [WBGT]) and work rate over the course of a workday.MethodsRepeated-measures regression was used to identify characteristics impacting work rate in a cross-sectional study of Latino farmworkers. Minute-by-minute work rate (measured by accelerometer) and WBGT were averaged over 15-minute intervals.ResultsWork rate decreased by 4.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], -7.09 to -1.59) counts per minute per degree Celsius WBGT in the previous 15-minute interval. Cumulative quarter hours worked (2.13; 95% CI, 0.82 to 3.45), age (-3.64; 95% CI, -4.50 to -2.79), and dehydration at the end of workday (51.37; 95% CI, 19.24 to 83.50) were associated with counts per minute as were gender, pay type (piece rate vs hourly) and body mass index ≥25 kg/m 2 . The effects of pay type and body mass index were modified by gender.ConclusionIncreased temperature was associated with a decrease in work rate.
- Published
- 2023