Respiratory Symptoms of California's Dairy Workers

While research has documented the adverse impact of agricultural work on the respiratory health of farmers, few studies have reported on the respiratory health of dairy workers. Additionally, we are not aware of any published studies addressing the health impacts associated with large dairies in the western United States. The present investigation is a cross-sectional survey carried out at 13 dairies throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Data were collected from 232 dairy workers and 52 employees of a control facility (a vegetable processing plant) during a three-month period in 2008. Survey data collected included: socioeconomic status, respiratory health history, respiratory exposure history, work history, and current health symptoms. The dairy and control populations were almost all immigrant Latino and were similar in demographics, with two primary exceptions: dairy workers had higher incomes and had lived in the United States longer than the control employees. A substantial proportion of workers had never sought medical attention in the United States. Dairy work in California was associated with a significantly increased prevalence of asthmatic symptoms but not with significantly increased chronic cough, phlegm, or wheezing.