Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina: Study design and participant baseline characteristics

Background

Although children as young as 10 years can work in agriculture, little research has addressed their occupational health. This paper describes a large, multicomponent study of hired Latinx child farmworkers, and the characteristics of children participating in this study.

Methods

Survey interviews were conducted in 2017 with 202 Latinx children aged 10‐17 years employed in agriculture across North Carolina (NC).

Results

Most (81.2%) participants were born in the United States, 37.6% were female, and 21.3% were aged 10‐13 years. Most (95.1%) were currently enrolled in school. Thirty‐six (17.8%) were migrant workers. 34.7% had worked in agriculture for 1 year; 18.3% had worked 4+ years. 33.7% worked piece rate. 57.4% worked in tobacco. Participants in western NC differed in personal and occupational characteristics from those in eastern NC.

Conclusions

This study has enrolled a large and diverse child farmworker sample. This overview indicates several important issues for further analysis.

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