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Structural Characteristics of Migrant Farmworkers Reporting a Relationship with a Primary Care Physician

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Abstract

Migrant farmworkers are disproportionately affected by many adverse health conditions, but access healthcare sparingly. This study of migrant farmworkers examined the distribution and general characteristics associated with having access to healthcare. Access to healthcare was measured by asking whether the participants (N = 413) had a primary care physician. Majority of participants did not have a primary care physician. Female migrant workers (AOR = 2.823 CI: 1.575–4.103) with insurance (AOR = 6.183 CI: 4.956–11.937) who lived at study site for more than 5 years (AOR = 2.728 CI: 1.936–7.837) and born in the United States (AOR = 2.648 CI: 1.373–3.338) had greater odds to have a primary care physician than recent male migrants without insurance who were born outside United States. There is a need to focus on Community Health Centers and Migrant Health Centers in tailoring their services and to widen the implementation and improve funding of Accountable Care Organizations to improve access to care of migrant farmworkers.

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Acknowledgments

The support of the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, Grant #: R01AA15810 is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would like to thank the study participants for making this study possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC 4 - 405, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    H. Virginia McCoy & Muni Rubens

  2. Department of Health Policy and Management, Academic and Student Affairs, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Mark L. Williams

  3. Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA

    John S. Atkinson

Authors
  1. H. Virginia McCoy
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  2. Mark L. Williams
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  3. John S. Atkinson
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  4. Muni Rubens
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muni Rubens.

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The authors report no real or perceived vested interests that relate to this article that could be construed as a conflict of interest.

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McCoy, H.V., Williams, M.L., Atkinson, J.S. et al. Structural Characteristics of Migrant Farmworkers Reporting a Relationship with a Primary Care Physician. J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 710–714 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0265-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0265-2

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