Exploring workplace TB interventions with foreign-born Latino workers.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Foreign-born individuals, particularly Latinos, face higher tuberculosis disease (TB) risks compared to native-born populations.
• Cultural and institutional barriers hinder access to TB interventions for at-risk foreign-born Latinos.
• Workplaces with significant foreign-born Latino employment present a viable setting for targeted TB interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of implementing tuberculosis disease (TB) interventions within workplaces.
• To evaluate employer and foreign-born worker knowledge and receptiveness regarding TB and workplace interventions.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase study involving 5 employer interviews and 12 focus groups with foreign-born workers.
• Interviews assessed employer TB knowledge and willingness to host interventions.
• Focus groups explored worker TB knowledge and attitudes toward workplace interventions, stratified by gender and education.

Main Results:

• Most employers had limited TB knowledge and expressed concerns about productivity and customer perception.
• Higher educated workers had more accurate TB knowledge, associating it with poverty.
• Lower educated workers held more misconceptions and feared employer non-support for interventions.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced TB education is crucial for both foreign-born Latino workers and their employers.
• Key barriers to workplace TB interventions include knowledge deficits, concerns over productivity loss, employer liability, and customer reactions.