Author: Kamel, Freya
Date Published: 2001
Few studies have examined health effects of pesticides in farmworkers, possible because researchers perceive this population to be relatively inaccessible. We conducted an epidemiological study of health effects among farmworkers in two towns in central Florida. We collaborated with the Farmworker Association of Florida, a grassroots organization representing 6,700 farmworker families. We identified potential participants using a membership list of the Community Trust Federal Credit Union. Members of the Farmworker Association served as recruiters for the study, locating randomly selected Credit Union members and administering a screening interview to determine eligibility. In Apopka, 90% of contacted workers were screened, and 79% of eligible workers participated in the study; corresponding proportions in Pierson were 94% and 85%. Farmworkers who had worked for 6-15 years and those who worked in a defined type of agriculture, (nursery, citrus or ferns), were more likely to enroll than others. Thus, while the response rate was good for a multistage recruiting process, study participants had a slightly different work history from those who chose not to enroll. We concluded that it is possible to conduct a study of health outcomes in farmworkers with a defined population and good response rates. Collaboration with the community is essential to the success of such a project, and community characteristics can affect response rates.