Search

Children of farmworkers can be exposed to pesticides through multiple pathways, including agricultural take-home and drift as well as residential applications. Because farmworker families often live in poor-quality housing, the exposure from residential pesticide use may be substantial. We measured eight locally reported agricultural pesticides and 13 pesticides commonly found in U.S. houses in residences of 41 farmworker families with at least one child < 7 years of age in western North Carolina and Virginia. Wipe samples were taken from floor surfaces, toys, and children's hands. We also collected interview data on possible predictors of pesticide presence, including characteristics of the household residents, cleaning practices, and characteristics of the home. All families were Spanish-speaking, primarily from Mexico. Results indicate that six agricultural and 11 residential pesticides were found in the homes, with agricultural, residential, or both present in 95% of homes sampled. In general, residential pesticides were more commonly found. Presence of both types of pesticides on the floor was positively associated with detection on toys or hands. Agricultural pesticide detection was associated with housing adjacent to agricultural fields. Residential pesticide detection was associated with houses judged difficult to dean. Although the likelihood of agricultural pesticide exposure has been considered high for farmworker families, these results indicate that residential pesticide use and exposure in this population merit further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors outline the development and implementation of a public health education program for cervical cancer screening among black women in Forsyth County, NC. The educational program includes distributing electronic and printed information media messages, a program of direct education for women, and providing information on current issues in cervical screening to primary-care physicians. Program development was based on social marketing principles, the PRECEDE model and the communication-behavior change (CBC) model. Since a true experimental design was not feasible, program evaluation is based on several complementary quasi-experimental designs. Analysis of baseline data indicate that the county where the intervention is taking place, and the control county, are similar with respect to both demographic characteristics and the current level of screening activity. Preliminary results indicate that the program has been successful in raising women's level of awareness of cervical cancer and cervical screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Pesticide exposure is an important environmental and occupational health risk for agricultural workers and their families, but health care providers receive little training in it., Objective: To evaluate the medical resources available to providers caring for patients, particularly farmworkers, exposed to pesticides and to recommend a selective bibliography for use in educating clinicians about pesticides and health care. These resources are divided into 3 domains: (1) the working knowledge, (2) the skill set, and (3) the references needed to care for these patients., Methods: We searched library databases dating back to 1995, as well as conference materials and Internet resources. Materials were included only if they were readily available through customary sources. Materials were randomly divided into 2 groups. Two authors wrote detailed reviews for each group. The remaining authors read each document and review, making changes that were agreed upon by the team. Review procedures were standardized to examine the contemporary relevance, quality, and overall strengths and weaknesses of the material relative to guidelines developed for each domain. These guidelines were developed from the authors' experience, national focus groups, and literature review., Results: While no 1 resource adequately addresses all needs, a number of resources were identified addressing the categories of working knowledge, skill set, and reference materials. Few of the reviewed materials address the cultural competence of providers treating farmworkers. Additional education resources are needed.