Stress Among Latinos: Does it Vary by Occupation and Agricultural Season?

Abstract

Stress is pervasive among Latino immigrants. We identified seasonal and occupational patterns in stress among rural Latino immigrants. During three agricultural periods, farmworker and non-farmworker participants responded to a 24-item stress questionnaire (Snipes et al, 2007). We measured the associations of stress with occupation, with season, and occupation within season, adjusting for demographic variables. The highest levels of stress were observed in the pre-thinning season when pruning takes place among farmworkers. Stress is significantly higher in farmworkers compared with non-farmworkers only in the non-spray season when crops are dormant. Higher income was associated with decreased stress in the pre-thinning and thinning seasons when buds and small fruit are removed from orchards. Identification of strategies to reduce stress in Latino migrants is warranted. Although some sources of stress may be intractable, others may be amenable to intervention.