Hired Farm Worker Health Needs Assessments

[Guest guest]

The exchange of messages regarding health needs assessments raises the

important question of how to conduct such studies today. In 1998, I

initiated a large-scale needs assessment of California's hired farm workers

with the generous support of The California Endowment (TCE). The work was

carried forward by the very excellent staff of the California Institute for

Rural Studies (CIRS) and benefitted greatly from the enthusiastic

cooperation of a number of providers. That study, known as the California

Agricultural Worker Health Survey (CAWHS), included a comprehensive medical

examination and laboratory blood chemistry screening. Many of the findings

of the CAWHS have been published, and can be accessed through my business

web page (see below), the CIRS web page, or TCE web page. Additional

findings will become available shortly. Some of the methods used in the

CAWHS are described in these reports.

Based on this experience, it is my professional opinion that future efforts

of this nature must include, at minimum, random selection of subjects and

physical examinations conducted by third-party medical providers.

I am presently responding to an initiative of investigators in another

state to visit and assist with a health needs assessment of hired farm

workers in their state, and am willing to consider similar inquiries from

other investigators.

Perhaps this migrant health research network should seek support for a

half-day or full-day workshop in which those who are willing can share

their experience in considerable detail, including survey methods and

instruments.

Warm regards,

Don Villarejo

P.O. Box 381

, CA 95617

voice and facsimile: (530)7566545

e-mail: donfarm@...

web page: www.DonVillarejo.com

[Guest guest]

Bobbi Ryder raises the potentially useful suggestion that the Midwestern

Stream Forum Research Track be considered as a possible venue for the

half- or full-day workshop on methodology that I proposed. While

this is an interesting possibility, my experience is that folks who

participate in the Stream Forums have many opportunities to attend

presentations on a variety of different topics, to network with

colleagues, or to enjoy the plenary sessions. The Research Track in

effect, competes with other sessions, or other scheduled

activities. Moreover, the Stream Forum sessions tend to be lecture

presentations with only limited time for questions and responses and

virtually no time for active participation by those who are, in effect,

'the audience'.

For this reason, I suggest considering a separate, full-day workshop

devoted exclusively to the topic of Health Needs Assessments at which

there would be opportunities for active participation by those with the

depth of interest to do so. Workshops of similar design are

regularly offered on a variety of topics by various non-profit

groups.

Warm regards,

Don Villarejo

At 10:01 PM 1/29/02 -0600, you wrote:

Thank you for your responsiveness to the

dialog about assessment of

need. I know that we will be glad to entertain abstracts for topics for

the Midwestern Stream Forum for the Research Track to be held in

November of 2002, tentatively in Colorado Springs. We will be sure to

post the RFA to this e-group as soon as it is announced. Likewise, I

will ask the hosts of the West and the East respectively to let you all

know when the call for abstracts has gone out. Bobbi Ryder

Don Villarejo wrote:

> The exchange of messages regarding health needs assessments raises

> the

> important question of how to conduct such studies today. In 1998, I

> initiated a large-scale needs assessment of California's hired farm

> workers

> with the generous support of The California Endowment (TCE). The

work

> was

> carried forward by the very excellent staff of the California

> Institute for

> Rural Studies (CIRS) and benefitted greatly from the enthusiastic

> cooperation of a number of providers. That study, known as the

> California

> Agricultural Worker Health Survey (CAWHS), included a comprehensive

> medical

> examination and laboratory blood chemistry screening. Many of the

> findings

> of the CAWHS have been published, and can be accessed through my

> business

> web page (see below), the CIRS web page, or TCE web page. Additional

> findings will become available shortly. Some of the methods used in

> the

> CAWHS are described in these reports.

>

> Based on this experience, it is my professional opinion that future

> efforts

> of this nature must include, at minimum, random selection of

subjects

> and

> physical examinations conducted by third-party medical providers.

>

> I am presently responding to an initiative of investigators in

another

>

> state to visit and assist with a health needs assessment of hired

farm

>

> workers in their state, and am willing to consider similar inquiries

> from

> other investigators.

>

> Perhaps this migrant health research network should seek support for

a

>

> half-day or full-day workshop in which those who are willing can

share

>

> their experience in considerable detail, including survey methods

and

> instruments.

>

> Warm regards,

>

> Don Villarejo

> P.O. Box 381

> , CA 95617

> voice and facsimile: (530)7566545

> e-mail: donfarm@...

> web page:

www.DonVillarejo.com

>

>

>