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UAL Research Reveals 'Invisible Health' of Migrant Seasonal Workers

A joint study with IRB Lleida analyzes socio-labor conditions affecting the well-being of agricultural workers.

Hands of seasonal farmworkers holding tools and harvest produce, with a blurred field in the background.
IA

Hands of seasonal farmworkers holding tools and harvest produce, with a blurred field in the background.

Research from the University of Almería, in collaboration with IRB Lleida, has highlighted the precarious perceived health among migrant seasonal workers in the agricultural sector, emphasizing socio-labor and gender factors.

A pioneering study by the University of Almería (UAL), conducted with the Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRB Lleida), sheds light on the complex health situation of migrants working seasonally in agriculture. The research, published in the journal Public Health, focuses on seasonal workers, describing them as "essential to the agricultural sector, yet frequently invisible," and warns of the scarcity of comprehensive analyses on how their living and working conditions impact their well-being.
The study is part of project PI20/01310, titled ‘Migration and agricultural work in Spain: socio-labor precarity and health’ (2020-24). The specific article, titled ‘Socio-demographic and occupational determinants of poor self-perceived health among seasonal migrant farmworkers: A cross-sectional analysis’, examines the influence of social and labor conditions on the perceived health of these workers, coining the concept of “the invisible health of the countryside”.
The results, based on 623 surveys conducted with men and women of Maghrebi and Sub-Saharan African origin in Andalusia (specifically in Almería and Huelva), Lleida, and La Rioja, reveal a high prevalence of poor health perception among agricultural seasonal workers. This situation disproportionately affects women. Key factors identified include labor precarity, long working hours, social exclusion, inadequate housing conditions, limited access to healthcare resources, and gender inequalities.
The research underscores that the well-being of these workers extends beyond intense physical labor, being conditioned by structural factors. Educational level, administrative status, and social isolation are significant determinants, exacerbating the vulnerability of a group that often faces barriers to accessing basic services. Understanding these variables is crucial for designing public policies that promote greater equity and health protection.
In the short term, the findings aim to raise awareness about the vulnerability of migrant seasonal workers, enabling healthcare professionals, social entities, and public administrations to better understand their needs. In the medium term, this knowledge is expected to guide fairer policies, improve working and housing conditions, and optimize access to healthcare, thereby contributing to reducing health inequalities and dignifying the living conditions of this essential group in the agri-food system.

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