New Solutions
Volume 22, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 153-173

Safety, security, hygiene and privacy in migrant farmworker housing (Article)

Arcury T.A.* , Weir M.M. , Summers P. , Chen H. , Bailey M. , Wiggins M.F. , Bischoff W.E. , Quandt S.A.
  • a Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
  • b Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, United States
  • c Department of Family and Community Medicine, Center for Worker Health, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States
  • d Department of Biostatistical Sciences in the Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States
  • e Community Organization Coordinator for NC FIELD
  • f Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF)
  • g Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States
  • h Department of Epidemiology and Prevention in the Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States

Abstract

Safety, security, hygiene, and privacy in migrant farmworker housing have not previously been documented, yet these attributes are important for farmworker quality of life and dignity. This analysis describes the safety, security, hygiene, and privacy of migrant farmworker housing and delineates camp characteristics that are associated with these attributes, using data collected in 183 eastern North Carolina migrant farmworker camps in 2010. Migrant farmworker housing is deficient. For example, 73.8 percent of housing had structural damage and 52.7 percent had indoor temperatures that were not safe. Farmworkers in 83.5 percent of the housing reported that they did not feel they or their possessions were secure. Bathing or toileting privacy was absent in 46.2 percent of the housing. Camps with residents having H-2A visas or North Carolina Department of Labor certificates of inspection posted had better safety, security, and hygiene. Regulations addressing the quality of migrant farmworker housing are needed. © 2012, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.

Author Keywords

Migrant farmworker Occupational justice housing quality

Index Keywords

North Carolina Agriculture safety standard housing occupational health Transients and Migrants statistics Personal Space Article United States hygiene human Humans migration group dynamics
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84871705518&doi=10.2190%2fNS.22.2.d&partnerID=40&md5=bea421111777098b023a290c3c44a1fd
DOI: 10.2190/NS.22.2.d
ISSN: 10482911
Cited by: 25
Original Language: English