Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ethical Issues in Conducting Migrant Farmworker Studies

  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Migrant farmworkers should be considered a vulnerable population because they work in a hazardous industry, are often members of an ethnic minority, have known difficulty in accessing health care, and are often of lower socioeconomic status. For these reasons, too, it is extremely important to conduct health-related research with this often-underserved group. However, because migrant farmworkers are vulnerable, investigators must be especially vigilant in protecting them from the potential harms of research and in ensuring that the special ethical issues that arise in research with this population are identified and addressed for every project. In response to the National Cancer Institute's concerns about the feasibility of conducting epidemiologic studies among migrant farmworkers, researchers undertook four feasibility studies near the Texas-Mexico border. Each study raised different, complex ethical questions that challenged the investigators, but whose resolution turned out to be crucial to the success of the studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Worker Health Chartbook, 2000. NIOSH Pub no 2002–117, May 2002

  2. May-Lambert S, Richardson S, Herrmann K: Fatal work injuries involving farmworkers, 1991–1995. J Agri Saf Health 1998; 1:47-55

    Google Scholar 

  3. National Center for Farmworker Health: Facts About Farmworkers www.222.ncfh.org/aboutfws, 2001

  4. U.S. Department of Labor: National Agricultural Workers Survey. U.S. Department of Labor; 2000

  5. Palinkas LA, Arciniega JI: Immigration reform and the health of Latino immigrants in California. J Immigrant Health 1999; 1:19-30

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hubbell FA, Waitzman H, Mishra SI, Dombrink J, Chavez LR: Access to medical care for documented and undocumented Latinos in a southern California county. West J Med 1999; 154:414-417

    Google Scholar 

  7. Loue S, Faust M, Bunce A: The effect of immigration and welfare reform legislation on immigrant's access to health care, Cuyahoga and Lorain counties. J Immigrant Health 2000;2:23-30

    Google Scholar 

  8. Human Subjects Research Program, U.S. Department of Energy: Creating an Ethical Framework for Studies that Involve the Worker Community. U.S Government Printing Office; 2000: Chapter 1, p. 7-8

  9. Larson AC: Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Enumeration Profile Study Texas, September 2000 http://bphc.hrsa.gov./migrant/Enumeration/final-tx.pdf

  10. The University of Texas System Texas–Mexico Border Health Coordination Office, Texas-Mexico Border Counties, 1995. Demographics and Health Statistics, 1998

  11. 2000 U.S. Census poverty by county www.census.gov/hhes/poerty/2000census/poppvstatoo.htm

  12. Coughlin SS, Beauchamp TL: Historical foundation: In: Coughlin SS, Beauchamp, TL, eds. Ethics and Epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press; 1996:5-23

    Google Scholar 

  13. Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military tribunals under Control Council Law No 10, Vol 2. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 1949:181-182

  14. World Medical Association: Declaration of Helsinki. Recommendations Guiding Medical Doctors in Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects. Helsinki, Finland: WMA;1964

  15. The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research: The Belmont Report: Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research, 1979. http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/mpa/belmont.php3

  16. Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences: Internatonal Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects. Geneva: WHO; 2002

  17. American College of Epidemiology: American College of Epidemiology Ethics Guidelines. Raleigh, NC: ACE; 2000 http://acepidemiology.org/policystmts/EthicsGuide.htm

  18. Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences. International guidelines for ethical review of epidemiological studies. Law Med Health Care 1991; 19:247-258

    Google Scholar 

  19. Beauchamp TL, Cook RR, Fayerweather WE, Raabe GK, Thar WE, Cowles SR, Spivey GH: Ethical guidelines for epidemiologists. J Clin Epidemiol 1991: 44 (Suppl 1):151S-169S

    Google Scholar 

  20. Beauchamp TL: Moral foundations: In: Coughlin SS Beauchamp TL, eds. Ethics and Epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press; 1996:24-52

    Google Scholar 

  21. Last JM: Obligations and responsibilities of epidemiologists to research subjects. J Clin Epidemiol 1991; 44(Suppl 1):95S-101S

    Google Scholar 

  22. Barry M: Ethical considerations of human investigation in developing countries: The AIDS dilemma. N Engl J Med 1988; 319:1083-1086

    Google Scholar 

  23. Levine RJ: Informed consent: Some challenges to the universal validity of the western model. Law Med Health Care 1992; 19:207-213

    Google Scholar 

  24. Brennan TA: Proposed revisions to the Declaration of Helsinki—Will they weaken the ethical principles underlying human research? N Eng J Med 1999; 341:527-531

    Google Scholar 

  25. Cooper S, Burau K, Hanis C, Henry J, MacNaughton N, Robison T, Smith MA, Sweeney A, Vernon SW, Zahm S: Tracing migrant farmworkers in Starr County, Texas. Am J Ind Med 2001; 40:586-591

    Google Scholar 

  26. Cooper SP, Darragh AR, Vernon SW, Stallones L, MacNaughton N, Robison T, Hanis C, Zahm, SH: Ascertainment of pesticide exposures of migrant and seasonal farmworker children: Findings from focus groups. Am J Ind Med 2001; 40:531-537

    Google Scholar 

  27. Cooper SP, Burau K, Sweeney A, Robison T, Smith MA, Symanski E, Colt JS, Laseter J, Zahm SH: Prenatal exposure to pesticides: A feasibility study among migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Am J Ind Med 2001; 40:578-585

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zahm SH, Colt JS, Engel LS, Keifer MC, Alvarado AJ, Butterfield P, Caldera S, Cooper SP, Garcia D, Hendrikson E, Heyer N, Hunt LM, Krauska M, MacNaughton N, McDonnell, Mills PK, Mull D, Nordstrom DL, Outterson B, Slesinger DP, Stallones L, Stephens C, Sweeney A, Sweitzer K, Vernon SW, Burau K, Smith M, Hanis C, Blair A: Development of a life events/icon calendar questionnaire to ascertain occupational histories and other characteristics of migrant farmworkers. Am J Ind Med 2001; 40:490-501

    Google Scholar 

  29. Geissler EM: Cultural Assessment, 2nd edn. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 1998

    Google Scholar 

  30. Rogers EM, Steinfatt TM: Intercultural Communication. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland; 1999

    Google Scholar 

  31. Khan KS: Epidemiology and ethics: The people's perspective. Law Med Health Care 1991; 19(3/4):202-206

    Google Scholar 

  32. Dresser N: Multicultural Manners: New Rules of Etiquette for a Changing Society. New York: Wiley; 1996

    Google Scholar 

  33. Saville-Troike M: The Ethnography of Communication: An Introduction, 2nd edn. Oxford: Butterworth; 1994

    Google Scholar 

  34. Hanis CL, Ferrell RE, Barton SA, Aguilar L, Garza-Ibarra A, Tulloch BR, Garcia CA, Schull WJ: Diabetes among Mexican Americans in Starr County, Texas. Am J Epidemiol 1983; 118:659-672

    Google Scholar 

  35. Hanis CL, Hewett-Emmett D, Kubrusly LF, Maklad MN, Douglas TC, Mueller WH, Barton SA, Yoshimaru H, Kubrusly DB, Gonzalez R, Schull WJ: An ultrasound survey of gallbladder disease among Mexican Americans in Starr County, Texas: Frequencies and risk factors. Ethn Dis 1993; 3:32-43

    Google Scholar 

  36. Garcia C: The Role of Medical Interpreters. ATA Chronicle 2000

  37. 45 CFR 46.116 Protection of Human Subjects, 2001

  38. 21 CFR 50.20 Protection of Human Subjects, 1998

  39. Doak CC, Doak LG, Root JH: Teaching Patients With Low Literacy Skills. Philadelphia: Lippencott; 1985

    Google Scholar 

  40. Weiss BD, Coyne C: Communicating with patients who cannot read. NEJM 1997; 337: 272-274

    Google Scholar 

  41. Soler M, Peters C: Who Should Know What? Confidentiality and Information Sharing in Service Integration. Des Moines, IA: National Center for Service Integration; 1993

    Google Scholar 

  42. Gostin L: Ethical principles for the conduct of human subject research: Population-based research and ethics. Law Med Health Care 1991; 19(3/4): 191-201

    Google Scholar 

  43. Dickens BM: Issues in preparing ethical guidelines for epidemiologic studies. Law Med Health Care 1991; 19(3/4):175-183

    Google Scholar 

  44. Weijer C, Emmanuel EJ: Protecting communities in biomedical research. Science 2000; 298: 1142-1144.

    Google Scholar 

  45. NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects, 1998. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html

  46. Leikin S: Ethical issues in epidemiologic research with children: In: Coughlin SS, Beauchamp, TL, eds. Ethics and Epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press; 1996:24-52

    Google Scholar 

  47. Ross LF: In defense of the Hopkins Lead Abatement Studies. J Law Med Ethics 2002; 30(1):50-57

    Google Scholar 

  48. 45 CFR 46 Part D Protection of Human Subjects, Additional Protection for Children Involved as Subjects in Research, 1994

  49. Higginson J, Chu F: Ethical considerations and responsibilities in communicating health risk information. J Clin Epidemiol 1991; 44(Suppl 1): 51S-56S

    Google Scholar 

  50. Schulte PA, Singall M: Ethical issues in the interaction with subjects and disclosure of results: In: Coughlin SS, Beauchamp, TL, eds. Ethics and Epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press; 1996:178-196

    Google Scholar 

  51. General Accounting Office: Child Labor in Agriculture: Characteristics and Legality of Work. GAO/HEHS–98-112R;1998

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, Bryan, Texas

    Sharon P. Cooper

  2. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennesee

    Elizabeth Heitman

  3. School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas

    Erin E. Fox, Beth Quill & Nancy MacNaughton

  4. Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas

    Paula Knudson

  5. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland

    Sheila H. Zahm

  6. National Center for Farmworker Health, Buda, Texas

    Roberta Ryder

Authors
  1. Sharon P. Cooper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elizabeth Heitman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Erin E. Fox
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Beth Quill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Paula Knudson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sheila H. Zahm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Nancy MacNaughton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Roberta Ryder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sharon P. Cooper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cooper, S.P., Heitman, E., Fox, E.E. et al. Ethical Issues in Conducting Migrant Farmworker Studies. Journal of Immigrant Health 6, 29–39 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOIH.0000014640.64905.02

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOIH.0000014640.64905.02

Search

Navigation