RE: A statistic on farmworkers--source?

[Guest guest]

Molla:

My recollection on the 15-20% number is that it is from a GAO study in the early '90s which said that migrant health centers receive funding sufficient to reach only 15% of farmworkers. I don't know if the number is still true but I am sure there are folks in the clinic business (e.g. NACHC) who can help you.

I don't know the source of the other number, but it might be the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) done by the the US Department of Labor. Also try the California Agricultural Workers Health Survey, the results of which are published in a report entitled Suffering in Silence by the California Institute of Rural Studies and available on their web page wwwcirsinc.org.

Diringer, JD, MPH Diringer and Associates 2475 Ave., Ste. B San Obispo, CA 93401 805-546-0950 fax: 805-546-0966 joel@...

www.diringerassociates.com

-----Original Message-----From: mollakay@... [mailto:mollakay@...]Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 11:43 AM Subject: [ ] A statistic on farmworkers--source?Hi, folks. Hola! Salut! Would anyone know the very original source of the following statistic that seems to get passed on without attribution: farmworker health programs reach 15-20% of their target population of farmworkers OR 80% of farmworkers in the U.S. do not have access to health care services Thanks! Molla K. Sarros, MPH Clinical Data Manager Farmworker Health Services, Inc. Washington, D.C. To Post a message, send it to: GroupsTo Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: -unsubscribe

[Guest guest]

Molla,

My guess would be these statistics are based on a simplified division using the number of MSFWs served by Migrant Health Centers (and probably not much consideration given to duplicate service provided for migrants visiting more than one state) divided by the national figure for MSFWs in the "1990 Migrant Health Atlas" (report developed for the Office of Migrant Health which offered estimates for almost every state).

I have no idea whether people are continuing to update the nominator of the equation (current number of MSFWs served), but I don't know of any update for the denominator. I developed MSFW estimates in the year 2000, on behalf of the Office of Migrant Health, for only 10 states (with an 11th state study recently completed as well), but there really is no comparable national figure with which to make such an estimate today.

Anyone else have any other ideas about this often quoted figure?

Alice

Alice C. Larson, Ph.D.Larson Assistance Serviceslas@...206.463.9000 (voice)206.463.9400 (fax)P.O. Box 801Vashon Island, WA 98070

----- Original Message -----

From: mollakay@...

Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 11:43 AM

Subject: [ ] A statistic on farmworkers--source?

Hi, folks. Hola! Salut! Would anyone know the very original source of the following statistic that seems to get passed on without attribution: farmworker health programs reach 15-20% of their target population of farmworkers OR 80% of farmworkers in the U.S. do not have access to health care services Thanks! Molla K. Sarros, MPH Clinical Data Manager Farmworker Health Services, Inc. Washington, D.C. To Post a message, send it to: GroupsTo Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: -unsubscribe