farmworker health services, inc.
Farmworker Health















Major Reasons for Disproportional Disparities among Farmworkers

  • Lack of access to preventative health care services; only 20% of the farmworker population is accessing federally subsidized migrant health clinics


  • Occupational hazards; agriculture is the second most dangerous occupation in the United States


  • Most farmworkers do not receive health insurance and have little money to pay for out-of-pocket health services.


  • Farmworkers are typically linguistically, ethnically, and culturally marginalized from the rest of the local community, making it challenging to access social services.


Major Health Problems and Statistics

  • Compared to the general population, farmworkers have higher rates of infectious diseases, diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis, anemia, parasitic infections, mental health, substance abuse, malnutrition, and dental problems.


  • The infant mortality rate is estimated to be between 25% and 125% higher than the national average.


  • Farmworkers have been identified as ‘special risk’ for STDs. HIV/AIDS infection affects between 2.6% to 13%; ten times the national rate.


Occupational Health Risks Affecting Farmworkers

  • Agricultural workers are at special risk of heat stress.


  • Dermatitis, often related to pesticide exposure, is a very common problem for farmworkers.


  • There is an extremely high rate of musculoskeletal problems due to prolonged body positioning due to the nature of typical farm work.


  • Green tobacco sickness is experienced almost exclusively by farmworkers. It is a type of nicotine poisoning caused by prolonged, direct contact with tobacco leaves. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weakness, abdominal cramps, dizziness, and difficulty breathing.




1 - Rosenbaum, S. and Shin, P., Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. “Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care.” Center for Health Services Research and Policy, The George Washington University. April 2005.
2 - U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. “2005 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Summary Estimates Charts Packet.” (Washington, DC) 2006.
3 - Farmworker Health Services. “National Needs Assessment Report 2005-2006.” (Oakland, CA) 2006.
4 - National Center for Farmworker Health. “Maternal and Child Health Fact Sheet.” (Buda, TX)
5 - National Center for Farmworker Health. “HIV/AIDS Farmworker Fact Sheet.” (Buda TX)
6 - National Center for Farmworker Health. “Occupational Health Fact Sheet.” (Buda, TX)
7 - ibid.
8 - ibid.