Injuries among Hispanic Gardeners: A Research Note

The type of medical services sought and the frequency with which they are sought are affected by cultural, educational, occupational, and socioeconomic factors. The workrelated injuries of Hispanic gardeners and the medical care sought for them in a metropolitan city in California were examined. These gardeners are usually disadvantaged, hard to reach, not fluent in English, and poorly educated. Data concerning work-related injuries requiring medical treatment were obtained by tracking and interviewing 25 Spanish-speaking gardeners. Of the 9 gardeners (36%) injured in the preceding year, 5 (56%) incurred serious cuts and the other 4 (44%) suffered from inhaling chemicals, a skin burn, a sprained ankle, or a broken wrist. Although these workers had a higher-than-normal incidence of work-related injuries, those surveyed did not have medical insurance and did not use workers'compensation orpubliclyfunded medical services to treat the injuries.