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Preventing acute kidney injury in Florida farmworkers

FACULTY MEMBERS

Linda McCauley 79MN, PhD, RN, FAAN, FRCN, dean of the School of Nursing; Vicki Hertzberg, PhD, FASA, professor; and Roxana Chicas 16BSN 20PhD, assistant research professor

PARTNERS/COMMUNITY

The Farmworker Association of Florida and the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety

Harvesting crops, flowers, and greenery is grueling work — one that can lead to heatrelated illnesses, according to a study led by the School of Nursing. Equipped with this information, Florida farmworker leaders are working to advocate for better working conditions for workers.

During summers in Central Florida, daily temperatures typically rise into the 90s. For migrant farmworkers working for area fern growers, the heat is more than uncomfortable. It can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI), according to the School of Nursing’s recent Occupational Health Exposure and Renal Dysfunction (OHEaRD) study.

Heat-related kidney damage among workers is caused by different factors. The material used to deflect sunlight off fern beds tends to keep heat in, causing farmworkers’ body temperatures to rise to the fever threshold of 100.4 degrees. Workers often don’t drink enough water to maintain a normal temperature and hydration.

How farmworkers are paid is also a factor, the study found. Workers who are paid by the hour take water and meal breaks and experience lower rates of kidney illness. Workers paid by the piece — the number of ferns they pick — often skip water breaks. They push their bodies harder, leading to a higher incidence of AKI as well as rapid heart rate and nausea.

The AKI findings are based on a 32-month study that followed 115 agricultural workers in two Florida communities.

Going forward, OHEaRD results will help the Farmworker Association of Florida’s efforts to persuade growers and policymakers to continue to improve working conditions for these workers, who have the highest heatrelated mortality of all occupation groups in the United States.

OHEaRD is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers from Emory’s School of Medicine and Rollins School of Public Health are collaborators. — Pam Auchmutey