Reproductive Hazards and Female Agricultural Workers

Introduction
Agriculture ranks as one of the three most hazardous occupations in the United States, yet few studies have been conducted that examine the risks to pregnant women in the workforce. Exposure to agricultural chemicals is a major occupational and reproductive hazard and other factors such as long periods of standing and exposure to heat and dehydration have the potential to impact the health of pregnant women and their unborn children.

Methods
A partnership was created between university researchers and farmworker advocacy groups to examine how female farmworkers assess the risks of environmental and occupational hazards to pregnancy. Using focus group methodology, we examined perceptions of work hazards and pregnancy health among female farmworkers who work in nursery and fernery operations in Florida and among health providers in these agricultural communities. We also conducted a survey of 300 childbearing age women to assess characteristics of their work environment, specifically exposures to pesticides, heat, and ergonomic stresses. Urinary biomarkers were obtained from 100 participants to document exposures to organophosphate pesticides and fungicides.

Results
Workers reported a lack of knowledge about the names of the chemicals to which they are potentially exposed; a belief that pesticide exposure could be hazardous to pregnancy health; descriptions of symptoms and health concerns believed to be related to farmwork; and a lack of health care for these symptoms. Health providers reported that they seldom query patients regarding their work conditions and lack general information on signs of pesticide exposure. Analysis of the results of the worker surveys and pesticide biomarkers is currently underway.

Discussion
The results of this work will be used to develop culturally and linguistically- appropriate educational materials that emphasize health promoting and protective behaviors during pregnancy for female farmworkers. This information will supplement the pesticide training required for agricultural workers in the US.