Hispanic and Farmworker Health: A Community Health Survey of Hood River County, Oregon
Author: Carne, David Michael
Date Published: 2002
Migrant and seasonal farmworkers help sustain agriculture in Oregon, providing orchardists, especially, with the means to maintain their farms and support their communities. The income of these farmworkers being below that of general population, of rising concern has been farmworker's health, and access to health care. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Oregon are almost exclusively Hispanic of Mexican descent, which presents further cultural and language complications associated with their access to health care. Due to the migration of seasonal farmworkers, with their constant change of location, there is even more difficulty in assessing and tracking the real health care status, needs, and receipt of care among this segment of the populations. Most people are aware of the presence of migrant and seasonal farmworkers only as a result of living in an agrarian community where they experience the change in culture at their local grocery in the afternoons and evenings when farm work is done for the day. Unless they are orcahrdists themselves or visit an orchard during harvest months, residents usually have no idea of the workers' living conditions, health, or lifestyle. A great number of hard-working migrants and seasonal workers are busily ensuring the prosperity of the community life-blood, and go practically unnoticed by the general population. In 2000, a community survey of Hispanics--many of whom are farmworkers--and non-Hispanic county residents was conducted by La Clinica del Carino community health center in conjunction with Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, respectively. The Community Health Survey was administered in Spanish and English. The survey was administered to determine the self-reported health status of Hispanics and Hispanic farmworkers, as well as that of the English-speaking residents of Hood River county. A second reason the survey was administered was to help the health services of the county in identifying barriers experienced by residents as they attempt to access health care. The results of this survey will be used as a tool in directing future health care resources of La Clinica (LC) and Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital. (PHRMH) to better meet county needs.
Date Published: 2002
Migrant and seasonal farmworkers help sustain agriculture in Oregon, providing orchardists, especially, with the means to maintain their farms and support their communities. The income of these farmworkers being below that of general population, of rising concern has been farmworker's health, and access to health care. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Oregon are almost exclusively Hispanic of Mexican descent, which presents further cultural and language complications associated with their access to health care. Due to the migration of seasonal farmworkers, with their constant change of location, there is even more difficulty in assessing and tracking the real health care status, needs, and receipt of care among this segment of the populations. Most people are aware of the presence of migrant and seasonal farmworkers only as a result of living in an agrarian community where they experience the change in culture at their local grocery in the afternoons and evenings when farm work is done for the day. Unless they are orcahrdists themselves or visit an orchard during harvest months, residents usually have no idea of the workers' living conditions, health, or lifestyle. A great number of hard-working migrants and seasonal workers are busily ensuring the prosperity of the community life-blood, and go practically unnoticed by the general population. In 2000, a community survey of Hispanics--many of whom are farmworkers--and non-Hispanic county residents was conducted by La Clinica del Carino community health center in conjunction with Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, respectively. The Community Health Survey was administered in Spanish and English. The survey was administered to determine the self-reported health status of Hispanics and Hispanic farmworkers, as well as that of the English-speaking residents of Hood River county. A second reason the survey was administered was to help the health services of the county in identifying barriers experienced by residents as they attempt to access health care. The results of this survey will be used as a tool in directing future health care resources of La Clinica (LC) and Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital. (PHRMH) to better meet county needs.
