Citation

Panikkar B, Woodin MA, Brugge D, Desmarais AM, Hyatt RR, Gute DM. J. Immigr. Minor. Health 2013; 15(5): 882-889.

Affiliation

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA, bpanikkar@hotmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10903-012-9702-7

PMID

22976795

Abstract

This study examines the burden of occupational health risks among a convenience sample of three immigrant worker populations (Brazilian, Haitian, and El Salvadoran) in Somerville, Massachusetts. In this community based research initiative (n = 346), logistic regression is used to analyze immigrant occupational health survey data collected from 2006 to 2009. In this study, injuries at work were significantly associated with lower English proficiency (OR = 1.8, 95 % CI 1.1-3.0), workers between the ages of 46 and 65 (OR = 2.7, 95 % CI 1.0-7.0), service workers (OR = 13.8, 95 % CI 1.8-105.2), production workers (OR = 10.8, 95 % CI 1.3-90.1), construction workers (OR: 21.7, 95 % CI 2.8-170.9) and immigrants with no health insurance (OR = 1.8, 95 % CI 1.0-3.1). Injuries were negatively associated with years in the US with more established immigrants in the US >15 years reporting more injuries at work. Older immigrants who have been in the US longer but are less proficient in English, and are still employed in low-wage occupations with no health insurance suffered more injuries than recent immigrants. Further validation of this result is required.

Language: en