U.S. Farmworkers’ Barriers to Preventing Heat-Related Illness: An
Integrative Review
Abstract
Background: Although preventable, occupational heat-related
illness (HRI) is problematic in the United States. Farmworkers are
disproportionately affected by HRI compared to other workers. Uncovering
barriers that farmworkers face to the prevention of HRI is crucial to
reducing HRI-associated morbidity and mortality. This integrative review
aimed to understand U.S. farmworkers’ barriers to preventing HRI.
Methods: An integrative review occurred following Whittemore
and Knafl guidelines. Literature searches occurred on PubMed, Medline,
and Agricola. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and
removing duplicates, nine articles remained for review.
Results: The reviewed articles revealed several themes related
to prevention barriers: access, education and training, culture, and
compensation. Conclusion/implications: This review indicates
the need for more research to understand the barriers farmworkers face
to HRI prevention. Providing prevention measures without considering
obstacles to their use is ineffective in reducing HRI. Because many
farmworkers lack oversight and regulation of prevention measures,
focusing on barriers and areas over which farmworkers have more control
could have a significant impact.