Review of Research on High-Priority Populations at Risk - Agriculture Forestry and Fishing Research at NIOSH - page 70

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
the National Cancer Institute, the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); and
with researchers from community organizations, universities, industry, advocacy
groups and extension. The questionnaire was translated into Spanish, pilot tested,
and revised. The survey results indicated that hired farm workers and migrant
workers were younger than other workers. The results also indicated low English
literacy, which has implications for health because of the inability to understand
job-related instructions in English. The current survey focuses on mental health
and psychological factors, but the continuation of this survey is uncertain because
of funding issues.
As part of the AFF Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) con-
ducted a Minority Farm Operators Occupational Health Survey in 2000. Several
other organizations took part at different stages during the project, including
academic institutions and research organizations. The response rate was low, and
additional sampling was required; at that point, the method was changed, and
data were collected using face-to-face interviews. The prevalence of various health
and related conditions, including hearing loss, access to medical care, and mental
health symptoms were estimated. This work highlights the importance of adapting
methods to meet the needs of special populations in order to obtain health- and
injury-related data for occupational health.
Several extramural studies have been conducted in conjunction with the Co-
operative Extension Service (CES) assigned to the Navajo Nation to assess Navajo
occupational safety and health needs. Projects included cattle handling and safety
equipment, development of a training video, a loan program to purchase safety
equipment, and development of an education program related to flash flooding.
These projects were conducted with cultural sensitivity of the target population
using stakeholder involvement and provided an important example of how to use
CES, extramural researchers, and AFF Program staff to conduct needs assessment
to develop educational and hazard reduction interventions.
Participatory research has been used in several other extramural studies funded
by the AFF Program in several states involving Hispanic and Latino workers. Use
of a participatory approach has resulted in improved success with interventions in
relation to pesticide exposures and ergonomics.
Logging
Logging is historically one of the most hazardous industries in the United
States. Logging fatality and injury rates have slowly declined since the mid-1950s;
injury rates are twice the rate of all U.S. workers. In 1994, NIOSH published re-