COVID-19 Pandemic among Latinx Farmworker and Nonfarmworker Families in North Carolina: Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Preventive Behaviors

Quandt, Sara A.; LaMonto, Natalie J.; Mora, Dana C.; Talton, Jennifer W.; Laurienti, Paul J.; Arcury, Thomas A.

doi:10.3390/ijerph17165786

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COVID-19 Pandemic among Latinx Farmworker and Nonfarmworker Families in North Carolina: Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Preventive Behaviors

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Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA

Department of Anthropology, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI 54911, USA

Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA

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Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA

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Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(16), 5786; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165786

Received: 12 July 2020 / Revised: 1 August 2020 / Accepted: 7 August 2020 / Published: 10 August 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving the Health of Rural, Minority Populations)

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Abstract

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic poses substantial threats to Latinx farmworkers and other immigrants in food production and processing. Classified as essential, such workers cannot shelter at home. Therefore, knowledge and preventive behaviors are important to reduce COVID-19 spread in the community. (2) Methods: Respondents for 67 families with at least one farmworker (FWF) and 38 comparable families with no farmworkers (nonFWF) in North Carolina completed a telephone survey in May 2020. The survey queried knowledge of COVID-19, perceptions of its severity, self-efficacy, and preventive behaviors. Detailed data were collected to document household members’ social interaction and use of face coverings. (3) Results: Knowledge of COVID-19 and prevention methods was high in both groups, as was its perceived severity. NonFWF had higher self-efficacy for preventing infection. Both groups claimed to practice preventive behaviors, though FWF emphasized social avoidance and nonFWF emphasized personal hygiene. Detailed social interactions showed high rates of inter-personal contact at home, at work, and in the community with more mask use in nonFWF than FWF. (4) Conclusions: Despite high levels of knowledge and perceived severity for COVID-19, these immigrant families were engaged in frequent interpersonal contact that could expose community members and themselves to COVID-19. View Full-Text

Keywords: coronavirus; agricultural workers; health behavior model; structural vulnerability

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

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MDPI and ACS Style

Quandt, S.A.; LaMonto, N.J.; Mora, D.C.; Talton, J.W.; Laurienti, P.J.; Arcury, T.A. COVID-19 Pandemic among Latinx Farmworker and Nonfarmworker Families in North Carolina: Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Preventive Behaviors. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5786. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165786

AMA Style

Quandt SA, LaMonto NJ, Mora DC, Talton JW, Laurienti PJ, Arcury TA. COVID-19 Pandemic among Latinx Farmworker and Nonfarmworker Families in North Carolina: Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Preventive Behaviors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(16):5786. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165786

Chicago/Turabian Style

Quandt, Sara A., Natalie J. LaMonto, Dana C. Mora, Jennifer W. Talton, Paul J. Laurienti, and Thomas A. Arcury. 2020. "COVID-19 Pandemic among Latinx Farmworker and Nonfarmworker Families in North Carolina: Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Preventive Behaviors" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 16: 5786. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165786

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COVID-19 Pandemic among Latinx Farmworker and Nonfarmworker Families in North Carolina: Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Preventive Behaviors

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