Children as young as 10 years old are hired to work on farms in the United States (U.S.). These children are largely Latinx. Using interview data collected from 202 North Carolina Latinx child farmworkers in 2017, this analysis documents the heath characteristics and occupational injuries of Latinx child farmworkers and delineates characteristics associated with their health and occupational injuries. Latinx child farmworkers include girls (37.6%) and boys (62.4%), aged 10 to 17 years, with 17.8% being migrant farmworkers. Three-quarters reported receiving medical and dental care in the past year. Respiratory (15.8%) and vision (20.3%) problems were prevalent. Girls more than boys, and younger more than older children had greater health service utilization. Occupational injuries were common, with 26.2% reporting a traumatic injury, 44.1% a dermatological injury, 42.6% a musculoskeletal injury, and 45.5% heat-related illness in the past year. Age increased the odds of reporting work injuries and heat-related illness, and being a non-migrant reduced the odds of reporting work injuries. These results emphasize the need for greater documentation of child farmworker occupational health and safety. They underscore the need to change occupational safety policy to ensure that children working in agriculture have the same protections as those working in all other U.S. industries.

Background: US government child labor policies allow children as young as age 10 to be hired as workers on farms not operated by family members. Children may face substantial health risks in an industry known for high worker morbidity and mortality rates, due to high demands for productivity, and low control and little support because of the organization of the workplace. This paper examines how child farmworkers in North Carolina experience their work situation. Methods: In-depth interviews conducted in 2016 with 30 Latinx child farmworkers, ages 10-17, were analyzed using concepts from the demand-control-support model. All had worked as either migrant or seasonal hired farmworkers within the past year. Results: Children reported planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops including fruits, vegetables, and tobacco. The crew leader supervisory system, piece-rate pay, and co-worker pressure produced significant demands to work quickly and take risks including lifting heavy loads, operating mechanical equipment, and working in excessive heat. Children had little control over work to counter demands they experienced; and they labored in a state of fear of firing, wage theft, and other sanctions. Support was variable, with younger children more likely to experience family and co-worker support than older children.

Background: Although children as young as 10 years can work in agriculture, little research has addressed their occupational health. This paper describes a large, multicomponent study of hired Latinx child farmworkers, and the characteristics of children participating in this study. Methods: Survey interviews were conducted in 2017 with 202 Latinx children aged 10 to 17 years employed in agriculture across North Carolina (NC). Results: Most (81.2%) participants were born in the US, 37.6% were female, and 21.3% were aged 10–13 years. Most (95.1%) were currently enrolled in school. Thirty-six (17.8%) were migrant workers. 34.7% had worked in agriculture for one year; 18.3% had worked 4+ years. 33.7% worked piece rate. 57.4% worked in tobacco. Participants in western NC differed in personal and occupational characteristics from those in eastern NC. Conclusions: This study has enrolled a large and diverse child farmworker sample. This overview indicates several important issues for further analysis.

Background: Wake Forest School of Medicine (WFSM) investigators and Student Action with Farmworkers’ (SAF) Levante Leadership Institute, a farmworker youth program, are collaborating on a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) study. Objectives: (1) Describe the collaborative process between WFSM investigators and the Levante advisory board during the strategic planning and implementation phase and (2) highlight practices that support the collaboration and project success. Methods: The longitudinal Hired Child Farmworker Study examines the health and safety of hired Latino child farmworkers in North Carolina. Two Levante alumni co-investigators lead research-related activities with the Levante advisory board. Lessons Learned: Challenges to CBPR with youth are overcome by the longstanding partnership between WFSM and SAF, attention to logistical details, power sharing, building on shared values, and assessment of youth preferences. Conclusions: The partnership between WFSM and Levante demonstrates the mutual benefit of CBPR and will continue during the upcoming study phases.

Children as young as ten are legally hired for farm work. In North Carolina, many of these hired children are Latinx; they often work long hours during hot and humid summer conditions. Heat-related illness occurs along a continuum of severity ranging from heat cramps and rashes to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be fatal. The literature on the negative health effects of occupational heat exposure is growing; however, few studies have examined this exposure and health outcomes among child agricultural workers. To understand Latinx child farmworkers’ experiences of working in heat, we conducted in-depth interviews (n = 30). To estimate the prevalence of heat-related illness symptoms and associated factors, we conducted survey interviews (n = 165). Heat-related illness is common among these child farmworkers. While children often understand the dangers of working in heat, work organization often prevents their taking precautions. Formal workplace protections to prevent heat-related illness are limited.