Health and safety issues for Victorian farmworkers

This paper reports a study of Victorian agricultural workers' awareness of occupational health and safety (OH&S) services and their perceived need for a locally-based service. An exploratory approach was used to investigate a convenience sample of 25 agricultural workers comprising predominantly self-employed landowners and two employees, one of whom also owned their own property. Questionnaire and questionnaire-interview formats were used. The results showed that the respondents were relatively unaware of the OH&S services available; their use of services was minimal and not one of the sample sought OH&S advice after an injury or health problem occurred. Employers indicated that they were prepared to make improvements to their properties to reduce the risk of injury, and that they would utilize a locally or regionally-based OH&S service.     

Health needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) are a vital component of the U.S. agricultural industry. Despite their important contributions, MSFW are known to be a marginalized population who live in poverty and have poor health indicators. The purpose of this study was to gain a fuller understanding of family composition, employment, migration patterns, health issues and service needs of MSFW in 3 counties in northwest Michigan. The participants were mainly migrant (63%), and men (55%) with an average age of 34.4 years. Educational levels of the sample were low, with 56% reporting 6th grade or below, and an additional 7% reporting no formal education. The majority was originally from Mexico (75%), and Spanish was the first language of 79% of the farmworkers represented in the survey. Work-related health problems and chronic illness were the most commonly perceived health problems and the most commonly requested service was dental. This study adds to the body of knowledge related to farm worker health needs and provides direction for the provision of appropriate health care to this population.     

Mental health problems in childhood and adolescence

The emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people is of fundamental importance. Unmet mental health needs during childhood lead to difficulties in adolescence and problems in adulthood. The need to develop comprehensive prevention, early recognition and timely intervention services is essential. Despite this, many mental health problems go unnoticed or are only treated when advanced. Late intervention can often be associated with severe impairments for children and young people as well as their families. This article aims to improve nurses' understanding of children's emotional wellbeing and mental health, and identifies some of the risk and protective factors that combine to produce positive or negative outcomes. Individual and family-based psychological treatments that are available to support children are summarised. The learning activities offer nurses helpful interpersonal and practical strategies to promote emotional wellbeing and mental health in children.