Community Engagement

Nitrate Well Water Testing in Agricultural Communities: Improving Environmental Health Communication with Health Behavior Theory

Elevated levels of nitrate in groundwater are a significant public health concern for private well water users, including in the Lower Yakima Valley, which has a large Latino farmworker community. This pilot project developed tailored communication materials on well water testing specifically for this population. Our project was guided by a committee of local stakeholders of the Lower Yakima Valley (LYV) in Washington State, including El Proyecto Bienestar and the Latino Community Fund.

Pilot: Sexual Harassment Prevention

This project was created in response to concerns voiced by farmworker health and social service providers about the occupational health risks of women agricultural workers, as well as increased media and legal attention regarding sexual harassment in the agricultural workplace. The hidden nature of this issue profoundly impacts women’s ability to work safely in agriculture. The agricultural industry also shares its concern about the lack of culturally-appropriate educational resources available to address this problem.

Practical Solutions for Pesticide Safety

Handheld pesticide application takes place in farming and forestry work, and unintentional exposures can be common. Few evidence-based and practical solutions have been developed and shared across these industries.

Project Overview

PNASH works with farmers, educators, and researchers across the Northwest to test and develop solutions originally developed by growers and workers for themselves. We have expanded from our original airblast application systems, to now include handheld and greenhouse applications. Each solution is assessed for the goals:

A Multi-Level Approach to Heat-Related Illness Prevention for Agricultural Workers

This project proposes to develop and evaluate a multi-level approach to heat-related illness (HRI) prevention in agricultural workers. The intervention will develop tools to prevent the negative health effects of prolonged heat for individuals (knowledge and behaviors), workplaces (policies and practices), and communities (homes).

Home Air in Agriculture- Pediatric Intervention (HAPI)

The primary goal of the HAPI project, made possible through El Proyecto Bienestar, is to reduce exposure to inflammatory agents and allergens in the homes of an environmental justice community of Latino children residing in an area of intense dairy and crop-based industrial agricultural production. Community-based participatory activities in the Yakima Valley, Washington State have identified pediatric asthma as a priority health concern for the community.

Pilot: Occupational Safety and Health of Forest Workers

The forest service workforce is a predominately Spanish-speaking and immigrant population that faces language barriers, isolated working environments, and dangerous working conditions. To address the occupational health and safety concerns of this population, this project explored the injuries and illnesses and related medical treatment. The data collected in this project was used to pilot a job health and safety promotora program for forest service workers.

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