Journal of Community Health
Volume 36, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 175-179

Mexican urban occupational health in the us: A population at risk (Article)

Gany F. , Dobslaw R. , Ramirez J. , Tonda J. , Lobach I. , Leng J.*
  • a Center for Immigrant Health, NYU, School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
  • b NYU, School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
  • c Center for Immigrant Health, NYU, School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
  • d Ventanillas de Salud, Consulate General of Mexico in New York, 27 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016, United States
  • e Department of Environmental Medicine, NYU, School of Medicine, 650 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
  • f Center for Immigrant Health, NYU, School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States

Abstract

Mexicans are the largest immigrant group in the US. Little is known about their urban occupational health status. We assess occupational illness, injury, and safety training among New York City Mexican immigrants. This study is a consecutive sample of the Mexican immigrant population utilizing Mexican Consulate services in New York City over two weeks in March 2009. Bilingual research assistants approached persons waiting in line at the Consulate and administered an occupational health questionnaire. 185 people agreed to participate. Most work in restaurants (37%), cleaning (18%), construction (12%), babysitting/nanny (7%), retail (9%), and factories (5%). 22% had received safety training. 18% reported workrelated pain or illness. 18% suffered from a job-related injury since immigrating. Most injuries were in construction, factories, and restaurants. 29% had not reported their injury. This study provides evidence that the urban Mexican immigrant population is at high risk for work-related illness and injury, is not receiving adequate safety training, and is under-reporting occupational injury. Culturally and linguistically responsive community outreach programs are needed to provide occupational health and safety information and resources for urban Mexican workers. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Author Keywords

immigrants Mexican Injury occupational health Urban

Index Keywords

industry risk occupational disease human middle aged statistics Occupational Diseases Aged Health Surveys ethnology Urban Health Commerce Safety Management health United States Young Adult catering service Humans Occupations occupational accident classification Adolescent Hispanic male Restaurants Emigrants and Immigrants occupation female safety hospital service commercial phenomena Article adult migration New York City Accidents, Occupational Housekeeping child care Child Mexican Americans health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79956061254&doi=10.1007%2fs10900-010-9295-9&partnerID=40&md5=281c0d75fd94cdeb0b9311561e37827d
DOI: 10.1007/s10900-010-9295-9
ISSN: 00945145
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English