Contextualizing Obesity among Latino Farmworkers: A Critical Analysis of Structural and Cultural Processes Affecting Farmworker Health and Nutrition in Central Florida
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers play a critical role in the U.S. economy,\nproducing food for the American public, while their suffering is often rendered invisible\nby their existence on the margins of society. The low wages associated with farm labor\ncombined with the largely undocumented status of this population severely limits access\nto food, housing, and health care, resulting in poor health outcomes. Through the use of a\ncritical anthropological approach, this research examines the social, cultural, political,\nand economic context of obesity among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers in\nCentral Florida. Ethnographic research methods were used to explore perceptions about\nthe relationships between the body, food, and health among Latino farmworkers,\ncontextualizing these cultural beliefs within the broader, macro-level factors affecting\nhealth, including immigration, agricultural, and economic policies. Furthermore, this\nstudy compares the perceptions of farmworkers with those of healthcare workers that\nserve this community, examining the implications that conceptions of culture and\n“cultural competency” have for developing health interventions.\nThe findings of this research reveal that, in contrast to the beliefs of health\nproviders, farmworkers do understand the relationship between health and body size, and\ndo not show preferences for overweight or obese figures. Conceptions of food, on the\nfarmworker interviews indicate an interest for more nutritional information. This suggests\na need to develop nutritional information that is culturally relevant for Latino\nfarmworkers. Additionally, however, economic constraints significantly limit\nfarmworkers’ abilities to purchase sufficient and nutritious foods. The combination of\neconomic constraints and varying nutritional knowledge has significant health\nimplications for farmworkers, most notably in terms of the connection to diet-related\nhealth problems such as obesity. The implications of these findings indicate that\nnutritional interventions focused solely on education without addressing the economic\nand political processes that constrain farmworkers’ agency will have little overall effect\non the health of this population. This research, therefore, emphasizes the importance of\nusing a holistic approach to understand the complexity of health and nutritional issues\namong farmworkers.
Author: Melissa H. Johnson
Institution: University of South Florida
Language: English
Topic: Obesity and Health Practices
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1524744077