Social-Health Vulnerability in the Horticultural Population of Córdoba: Validation of a Scale for Health Surveillance
Horticultural activities take place in contexts that generate vulnerability due to continuous exposure to pesticides resulting from prevailing production practices, informal labor conditions, and precarious living and production conditions, among others. It is essential to have health surveillance t...
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
| Publicado: |
Universidad Nacional Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología
2023
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/med/article/view/42740 |
| Aporte de: |
| Sumario: | Horticultural activities take place in contexts that generate vulnerability due to continuous exposure to pesticides resulting from prevailing production practices, informal labor conditions, and precarious living and production conditions, among others. It is essential to have health surveillance tools capable of comprehensively capturing the complexity and multidimensionality of pesticide exposure. The aim is to validate a Social-Health Vulnerability Scale (SVS) adapted to the Green Belt of the City of Córdoba (CGB), in order to have a robust and reliable tool for conducting health surveillance in horticultural workers and their families.
An observational cross-sectional study was conducted (n=89 horticulturists from CGB). Living conditions, health status, work-related factors, and pesticide exposure during 2019-2020 were assessed. These assessments facilitated the design of an SVS consisting of the following dimensions (D): D1 occupational pesticide exposure (use of personal protective equipment), D2 health tracer events (presence of self-reported symptoms, diseases, and accidents), D3 housing conditions (availability of basic services: water, electricity, drainage, sanitation), and D4 horticultural production material conditions (land tenure, type of agricultural machinery, and tools). The construct validity was determined by Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (α=0.72). The internal validity of the EVS was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (specification, estimation, and evaluation of a structural equation model). The model's plausibility was evaluated through fit indices (χ² square; CFI and TLI >0.90; SRMR <0.09; RMSEA <0.05). Stata 16 software was employed for analysis.
The factorial model subjected to verification showed an adequate fit to the data: χ²; CFI=0.955; TLI=0.942; SRMR=0.079; RMSEA=0.046 (0.083-0.536). It consisted of three dimensions: D1, D2, and D3. Covariance between variables in D1 (0.306) and D3 (0.518) parameters improved the model fit.
The SVS can be considered a reliable tool for health surveillance in CGB, promoting comprehensive public health policies that consider the multidimensionality of the horticultural context. |
|---|