Latino Farm Workers vs Cancer - Essay Example

Running head: Latino farm workers vs. cancer Do Latino Migrant and seasonal farm workers have a higher risk of contracting cancer than other Latinos living in the US Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Abstract The Latinos constitutes about 88 percent of all the farm workers in the United States. In addition, this minority group, by the year 2001 constituted close to 13 percent of the entire population of the United States. The farm work that is often handled by this minority group includes pruning, harvesting, thinning, loading, mixing, and spraying of pesticides. It is the latter task that is mostly associated with the increased levels of cancer amongst the farm workers and their children. There has been a failure on the part of the government and the research organization, for not being in a position to institute studies that are based more on the minority groups like the Latinos. In addition, a failure to interpret the potential and cancer causing hazards that often accompanies the farm task could be attributed to the lack of knowledge by the Latinos on such threats. Also, a majority of these immigrant workers are not fluent in English, and it is therefore important that such risks are addressed in Spanish; ads the workers are more conversant in it. This study thus sought to identify the knowledge of the farm workers regarding the cancer properties of the nature of work that they handle, as well as the dangers that they are daily exposed to while mixing, loading and spraying these pesticides. More than two thirds of the respondents were male, and a similar number indicated that they could not leave their current job even in the face of health risks, citing financial constraints. It is paramount therefore that the plight of this minority group be addressed to avert the rising trend in cancer cases among the Latino farm workers, and their children. The problem Almost 88 percent of all the farm workers found in the United States are Latinos. These workers, together with their families face exposures to pesticides on a regular basis, and this exposure has the potential of increasing prostrate cancer, lymphoma, as well as childhood cancers (Zham & Blair 1993). Yet, despite a revealing of such serious risks, the scientific community and government officials have to a large extent overlooked the potential impact of a pollution of this kind on the health of these Latinos. Both the federal and state agencies rarely collect the relevant data. In addition, there are few studies that also address the environmental health risks that are capable of affecting the Latino communities (Zham et al, 1997). Majority of the government authorities, farm operators, the farm industry, and the landlords do not also provide the much needed warnings on the environmental health threats in Spanish. Consequently, a lot of the Hispanics are left without the much needed information that would otherwise enable them to evaluate the risks that faces them with regard to the environmental contaminants, be it at their jobs, or in the neighborhoods. In line with these observations then, it is the objective of this research report therefore to help in bridging the information gap, by way of analyzing both the existing data and documents on the pollution exposures, and the resulting health consequences ( in particular cancer). Literature review Latinos constitutes the largest minority group living in the United States. By 2002, nearly 40 million Latinos were living in the United States, and this was nearly 13 percent of the entire population of the United States (Variyam & Mishra, 2005). According to a recent study that was commissioned by the California cancer registry, 1,001 farm workers out of 140,000 Latino working in various farms in California were found to have been diagnosed with cancer for the period between 1973 and 1997 (Quandt et al, 2004) in comparison to the general population of the Latinos, those working as farm workers have a higher likelihood of developing stomach cancer by 69 percent, uterine cancer by 68 percent, and cervical cancer by 63 percent. These farm workers will often be exposed to pesticides while applying or mixing, during the times of planting, weeding, pruning, thinning, irrigating, and the harvesting of crops. The exposure could as well be as a result of living nears or in treated fields, or the consumption of foods that have been contaminated with these pesticides. Consequently, farm workers are faced with an increased risk of being exposure to hazardous pesticides, more than any other sector in the society (McCauley et al, 2001). Paul Mills, the California Latinos farm workers study co-author opines that the diagnosis of these farm workers was done at a later stage compared to a majority of the other Latino states. This helps to reveal a lack of education and health care availability (Sharpe et al, 1995). Similar sentiments were also echoed by another recent study carried out in California on the health of farm workers. the study, which awes conducted by the institute for rural studies in California found that many cancers such as that of the uterine have a higher chance of being treated if they are detected early. The findings of the cancer registry have also been supported by other earlier studies (London et al, 2002). In 1993, a study revealed that farm workers and farmers both have increase in cancers of the stomach and multiple myeloma, testis, and prostate cancers, in comparison to the general population. Additionally, the farm workers also exhibited unique rises in cancers of the pharynx, mouth, liver, and lungs (Lantz et al, 2004). This finding too, is in total support of the cancer registry study. McFarland, a small town in California shot to fame in 1984, following the discovery of a cancer cluster among the children born of farm workers. A total of 8 children were diagnosed with various types of cancers. The parents of these children worked in farm filed, and so they had a direct contact with pesticides on a daily basis (Kristensen et al, 1996). Factors compounding environmental health risks in Latino Communities A lot of Latinos are daily faced with a rise in the level of exposures to environmental health risks, as a result of the polluted conditions under which they work. Additionally, a series of problems that impacts on their ability to fight environmental health hazards often compounds these risks (McCauley et al, 2001). Very little is known about the exposure pattern of farm workers to pesticides that operate without the use of protective equipment. Still, less is also known regarding the exposure pattern of those children that lives in the households of farm workers (Vaughan & Nordenstam, 1991). According to a limited number of previous investigations, the suggestion offered is that such children have a higher chance of experiencing adverse pesticides effects; compared to their counterparts whose parents are not farm workers. Two studies that were trying to assess cancer end point among farm workers children indicated elevated leukemia incidence (Daniels et al, 1997) as well as brain cancer. It is a commonly held belief that once in the home environment, pesticide residues are usually exposed to water or sunlight, and this leads to slower rate of breakdown, in comparison to the pesticides in the orchards of fields. As such, children may fall victim to such breakdowns, as they spend a lot of time on the floors and carpets, and these are the perfect areas for the accumulation of pesticides. The children also often tend to wear minimal clothing when the summer spay season is on, and this increases the chances of dermal exposure. In addition, children will also increasingly engage in the behaviors of hand to mouth, and this only increases the likelihood of ingesting such pesticides (Zahm & Blair, 1997). Lack of data about environmental health threats to Latinos The data collected by the government does not in general terms include a lot of Latinos in surveys, and this fails to yield useful conclusions. In addition, government bodies have also failed to analyze data regarding environmental exposure on the basis of ethnicity (Vaughan, 1995). When we fail to collect specific data that pertains to certain minority groups, we are left in the dark in ads far as environmental health impacts are concerned. This also tends to increase potential hazards to the Latinos. When data is also lacking, it becomes difficult also to assess the health care needs that those Latinos faced with environmental health risks requires (McCauley et al, 2001). Pesticides exposures Close to 88 percent of the farm workers in the United States are of the Latino origin. A majority of men and women routinely gets exposed to pesticides (Sharpe et al, 1995). This exposure is not just restricted to the place of work, but their families are also at risk off the job, in instances when such pesticides drift through the air, cling to food and clothes, and also settle in their water meant for drinking. An exposure to such pesticides often leads to cough, skin rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, burning eyes, and difficulty in breathing. An exposure the pesticides may also leads to an increased risk of certain cancers, birth defects, and miscarriages. A lot of the Latino immigrant children get exposed to these pesticides on a daily basis. According to available statistics, it has been shown that those Latinos who had been employed as farm workers in California had a 59 to 69 percent risk of suffering from cervical, stomach, and uterine cancer, in comparison to their counterparts in other states. there are several other studies that have also suggested that even in the instances where farm workers possess the knowledge about agricultural toxins, coupled with safe work practices, such worker are too often reluctant to make use of the precautionary gear and behavior. For example, Lantz and others (1994) carried out a peer group discussion that involved Latino farm workers. The groups found out that the participant were in possession of the understanding of the poisonous nature, and at times cancerous properties of the pesticides that they so frequently handled. This not withstanding, the workers indicated the need to work was more overwhelming compared to a need to prevent against such a sickness. Methods Setting The study has been carried out at an agricultural valley in McFarland, California. Approximately 50 percent of the population in this area happens to be Latinos. Close to 50,000 people in this area and its neighborhood work in agriculture, and the primary crops of cultivation are pears, cherries, peaches, hops, and grapes. Agriculture in the study area. Those agricultural products that are grown in this area demand that the farm workers perform a number of farm tasks, one of which is the application of pesticides to such plants as pears, cherries, and apples. For the application of the pesticides, air blast sprayers are usually used, and these are normally attached to tractors. Study procedures A cross-sectional sample of farm workers was first identified from a large part of a community that works in an agricultural valley in McFarland, California. Some additional households were also included following records of high farm workers concentration. As part of the study, 50 households in total were surveyed. Out of these, a total of 28 households recorded children who were in the age bracket of 2 to 6 years. Questionnaire An open-ended questionnaire was administered to the respondents. Additionally, it was also deemed necessary to have a translated version in Spanish for the sake of a majority to f the respondents who spoke little or no English. The questions sough to identify if the workers had performed the following tasks over the last 3 months: pruning, irrigating, picking, and loading of crops such as fruits and vegetables. Also, the questionnaire also sought to know if the workers has been involved in transplanting and planting, thinning, weeding, loading or mixing of farm chemicals, as the well as the spraying and application of these. Additionally, the workers were asked to identify the last time that they had sprayed such pesticides and whether or not they wore any protective gears. The knowledge of the cancerous properties of the respondents was also questioned. Survey procedures An adult respondent had top be identified fro answering of the questions from those households that were eligible fro the survey, that is they had a farm worker as well as a child in the age bracket of 2 to 6 years old. Findings According to the findings of this study, almost two thirds of the respondents were below the age of 35 years. Additionally, a majority of these had managed to complete 8 years of schooling. The household annual income fro the respondents were also found to be low, and nearly 90 percent of the respondents earned below $ 25, 000 per year. Of the respondents that were interviewed, almost half of them had worked as farm workers for a period of more than 10 years. Close to two thirds of the farm workers participating in the study happened to be male. Of the 50 respondents, 20 percent alluded to the fact that they had loaded, mixed, or applied pesticides formulation in the last three months. 60 percent of the respondents were also aware of the health risks and dangers, including cancerous properties of handling the pesticides. About three quarters if the respondent responded that they would not abandon the job they were doing as it was their only source of livelihood. More than 70 percent of the respondents also claimed that they were unable to attend regular medical checkup, citing financial constraints. Incidences of protective clothing were also remotely recorded, and well over half of the respondent indicated that their children had over the last few years shown signs of breathing problems. Summary Close to 88 percent of all the farm workers found in the United States are Latinos. These workers, together with their families are daily faced with exposures to pesticides, and this exposure has the potential of increasing prostrate cancer, lymphoma, as well as childhood cancers. According to a study that was conducted by the California cancer registry from 1973 to 1997, it was revealed that Latinos working as farm workers have a 69 percent likelihood of developing stomach cancer, 63 percent of developing cervical cancer, and 68 percent risk of developing cancer of the uterus, in comparison to their counterparts who do not work as farm workers. Such workers often get exposed to such pesticides while applying or mixing, during the times of planting, weeding, pruning, thinning, irrigating, and most importantly, while mixing, loading and spraying such pesticides. Very few studies have thus far addressed the environmental health risks that affect the Latino community, yet the statistics indicates that they are the most vulnerable minority race to such risks. In addition, they are the largest labor force in the United States. This then acts as a challenge to the government and the scientific organization to invest more in studying the environmental risk factors that affects the Latinos and more specifically, the incidences of cancer. Research findings have indicated that a majority of cancer forms can be managed satisfactorily if detected early. This study found that very few of the Latino participants attend a regular check up. Of course, the low wages that they get makers it difficult for them to afford decent health care. 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