International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume 9, Issue 12, 2012, Pages 4452-4469

Occupational health and safety experiences among self-identified immigrant workers living or working in somerville, MA by ethnicity, years in the US, and english proficiency (Article) (Open Access)

Panikkar B.* , Woodin M.A. , Brugge D. , Desmarais A.M. , Hyatt R. , Goldman R. , Pirie A. , Goldstein-Gelb M. , Galvão H. , Chianelli M. , Vasquez I. , McWhinney M. , Dalembert F. , Gute D.M.
  • a Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
  • b Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • c Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • d Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
  • e Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • f Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
  • g Immigrant Service Providers Group/Health, Somerville, MA 02143, United States
  • h Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, Dorchester, MA 02122, United States
  • i 697 Cambridge St, Brighton, MA 02135, United States
  • j 697 Cambridge St, Brighton, MA 02135, United States
  • k Community Action Agency of Somerville, Somerville, MA 02143, United States
  • l Community Action Agency of Somerville, Somerville, MA 02143, United States
  • m Haitian Coalition, Somerville, MA 02144, United States
  • n Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States

Abstract

In this community based research initiative, we employed a survey instrument predominately developed and administered by Teen Educators to assess occupational health risks for Haitian, Salvadoran, and Brazilian immigrants (n = 405) in Somerville, MA, USA. We demonstrate that a combined analysis of ethnicity, years in the US, and English proficiency better characterized the occupational experience of immigrant workers than considering these variables individually. While years in the US (negatively) and English proficiency (positively) explained the occurrence of health risks, the country of origin identified the most vulnerable populations in the community. Brazilians, Salvadorans, and other Hispanic, all of whom who have been in the US varying length of time, with varying proficiency in English language had twice the odds of reporting injuries due to work compared to other immigrants. Although this observation was not significant it indicates that years in the US and English proficiency alone do not predict health risks among this population. We recommend the initiation of larger studies employing c community based participatory research methods to confirm these differences and to further explore work and health issues of immigrant populations. This study is one of the small number of research efforts to utilize a contemporaneous assessment of occupational health problems in three distinct immigrant populations at the community level within a specific Environmental Justice context and social milieu. © 2012 by the authors.

Author Keywords

Immigrant health Environmental justice Occupational health disparities Community based participatory research

Index Keywords

statistical analysis immigrant health survey health risk Massachusetts Health Status Disparities human language ability Odds Ratio Ethnic Groups ethnic group controlled study Time Factors Brazilian Logistic Models language Cross-Sectional Studies Haitian Haiti United States migrant worker Humans workplace occupational accident health impact male Emigrants and Immigrants female occupational exposure occupational safety population research Salvadoran Latino people Article Questionnaires adult major clinical study Somerville [Massachusetts] Brazil English as a second language Analysis of Variance occupational health ethnicity community assessment health hazard El Salvador immigrant population
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84871553664&doi=10.3390%2fijerph9124452&partnerID=40&md5=f345be6f81f63eab23cc32929e351884
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph9124452
ISSN: 16617827
Cited by: 9
Original Language: English