Healthcare use among California farmworkers: predisposing and enabling factors

Farmworkers are at risk for developing occupation-related health conditions, yet healthcare use is limited. National Agricultural Workers Survey data were used to test a modification of the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations on use of healthcare in the past two years and type of healthcare used. Barriers to care were examined to determine associations with use and type of use. The farmworkers (N = 2,291) were primarily foreign-born Latino/Hispanic married males who reported limited ability to read and speak English. Healthcare use in the past two years was more likely among females, those with more than six years of education, who earned an annual income of more than $15,000 annually, were authorized, non-migrant, insured, and who reported living in the US for more than two years. Healthcare system barriers were most prominent. This study provides important targets for policy and health promotion initiatives to reduce health disparities in this marginalized community.