Examining the Relationship between Pesticide Exposure and Negative Health Outcomes among Farmworkers

Abstract

Farmworkers in the agriculture sector work in one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. Farmworkers are highly exposed to occupational pesticides that can result in various negative health outcomes. Drawing on the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS), this thesis examines the relationships between lifetime asthma diagnoses, pain/discomfort, pesticide exposure, occupational factors, and socio-demographic factors. Logistic regression results suggest that farmworkers who handled pesticides within the past 12 months preceding the survey have higher odds of having received a lifetime health care provider diagnosis of asthma, as well as higher odds of reporting experiencing pain and discomfort during the prior year. The findings produced in this research provide further knowledge to farmworkers, employers, and society about occupational health disparities and exposure to pesticides.