Introduction: This study characterized physical activity and its association with injury among Latino farm workers.
Methods: An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect baseline and follow-up data on 843 and 640 Latino farm workers, respectively. Participants were 18-55 years old, engaged in farm work and residing in Mendota, CA at baseline interview. The questionnaire assessed self-reported physical activity and risk of injury.
Results: The 12 month prevalence of injury decreased from 9.0% at baseline to 6.9% at follow up interview. In GEE models adjusted for age, follow-up time, gender, smoking, income and years working in agriculture, poor/fair self-assessed health status (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.18-2.82) and 2-3 hr per day of sitting/watching TV/using a computer (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.83) were significantly associated with injury.
Conclusions: Physical activity was not associated with injury in this population. Efforts to reduce injuries should focus on known risk factors such as poor health status.
Keywords: Hispanic; Latino; agriculture; farmworker; injury; physical activity.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.