Migrant farm workers and their families: Cultural patterns and delivery of care in the United States

Abstract

Migrant farm workers and their families represented a critical labour pool in the planting and harvesting of agricultural products in the United States, yet their diminished health status parallel many non‐industrialized communities. The interaction of social, political, environmental and financial obstacles severely restrict access to health care among this community who often perceive insurmountable barriers to navigating the health‐care system. Through the provision of a culturally competent and sensitive assessment, community health nurses and other health providers can positively impact on health outcomes by incorporating the unique health beliefs and practices of this vulnerable population into a mutually defined plan of care.

Cultural and Religious Educational Needs of Overseas Nurses Working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates

“…This study found that nurses were constantly challenged to provide appropriate health care to their patients despite their very different cultural and religious backgrounds and unfamiliarity with their patient's cultural practice needs, without recognition of the possible impact on the care the nurses could provide. This is consistent with findings in settings such as the United States, where studies 47,48 revealed that minority groups in the community who had different cultural backgrounds from care providers had not benefited equally from improvements in the health care system. These patients had significantly greater morbidity and mortality rates than the general population, which had been attributed in part to the lack of skills and competency in providers caring for people of diverse cultures and working with teams of culturally diverse backgrounds.…”

Delivery of Health Services to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

“…These initiatives address several aspects for improving the delivery of health services, including conducting culturally appropriate community health assessments (14,15), using clinic models (79,108), using culture brokers and outreach workers to improve service delivery (52,98), and using lay health advisors (35,102,103). There are no evaluations of these programs or indicators of whether the programs have continued or if they have been replicated in other locales.…”

Health care access and health care workforce for immigrant workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector in the southeastern US

“…AgFF workers are primarily from Mexico and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, Asia, and elsewhere. AgFF workers and their families, however, experience numerous barriers to accessing both the general and specialized care they need Bechtel et al, 2008;Kugel and Zuroweste, 2010;Hoerster et al, 2011]. Latinos and other racial and ethnic minorities in the US suffer disproportionately from a number of diseases and health conditions [Keppel, 2007].…”