Kidney Function: Outdoor vs. Indoor Hispanic Agricultural Workers Open Access
Zhuang, Cathy (Spring 2024)
Abstract
There is a heightened risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) among farmworkers associated with dehydration and strenuous work. However, we are unaware of studies of renal function of agricultural workers that work in cold environments, such as in refrigerated packing houses. This study compares the rates of AKI, reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), dehydration, and heat-related illness (HRI) among agricultural workers in refrigerated (indoors) vs. non-refrigerated (outdoors) conditions in central Florida. We examined renal dysfunction indicators among Hispanic agricultural workers in Central Florida, comparing 67 outdoor farmworkers in January 2020 and 37 indoor farmworkers in January 2023. Data collection included demographics, health metrics, and urine and blood samples taken before and after a workday. Using REDCap, SAS 9.4, and RStudio for analysis, we applied Little’s MCAR test to validate the randomness of missing data and employed six regression models, including Linear Quantile Mixed Modelling (LQMM) to evaluate the impact of being an indoor worker, incorporating variables like age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and total beverage intake, with household clusters as a random intercept. Given that the data from the two cohorts were collected during the winter, we did not expect to see stark contrasts of AKI or other outcome indicators between the two groups. However, the indoor group exhibited higher rates of dehydration, lower eGFR, AKI, and symptoms of HRI. Since many workers were already dehydrated before starting work, there is also a need to strengthen training related to hydration habits. The observation that indoor workers in cool environments face similar issues to those working outdoors suggests that the root causes may extend beyond temperature exposure to broader working conditions and systemic issues in the workplace. This insight prompts a reevaluation of current occupational health paradigms and underscores the need for comprehensive strategies that address the multifaceted nature of workplace health risks.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
3 METHODS
3 Study Design
3 Data Collection
5 Statistical Analysis
7 RESULTS
9 DISCUSSION
11 TABLES
16 FIGURES
17 REFERENCES
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Kidney Function: Outdoor vs. Indoor Hispanic Agricultural Workers () | 2024-04-06 14:47:40 -0400 |
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