A cross-sectional study on the quality of life and psychosocial risk of migrant workers. / Estudio transversal sobre la calidad de vida y el riesgo psicosocial de trabajadores migrantes.

Introduction: Migration figures place Chile as one of the South American countries with the highest rate of migrants. The present study estimated the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, quality of life, and psychosocial occupational risks in migrant workers from the Maule region. Methods: Cross-sectional study with migrant workers between 18 and 60 years of age residing in the Maule region (n = 145). The applied questionnaires were: a psychosocial risk questionnaire, a health and quality of life questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. A bivariate statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal Wallis, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression models. Results: In Chile, 21% of the migrants maintained the same work activity as in their country of origin. Although the quality of life in physical and mental health is adequate, 52% have low psychological demands at work, 48.9% have low levels of active work and development skills, 57.7% have a high-risk level of compensation and self-esteem, and 65.5% have a high-risk level of double presence at work. Migrants with a higher quality of life in the physical health dimension have a lower risk of maintaining a balance between effort and reward; they worked 44 hours a week and did not work directly at Maule. Migrants with a higher quality of life in the mental health dimension have a lower risk of emotional demands, perceive greater social support in the company, and are less concerned about domestic chores. Conclusions: Migrants with lower quality of life in the physical health dimension presented less compensation at work and recognition, came to work directly in the region, and had jobs with fewer contract hours. Workers with lower quality of life in their mental health exhibited a greater risk of psychological demands at work and perceived low social support in the company; they were concerned about having to respond to domestic and salaried work.

Introducción: Las cifras migratorias sitúan a Chile como uno de los países sudamericanos con mayor número de migrantes. El presente estudio estimó la relación entre características sociodemográficas, calidad de vida y riesgos psicosociales laborales en migrantes trabajadores de la región del Maule. Métodos: Estudio transversal con trabajadores migrantes entre 18 y 60 años, residentes en la Región del Maule (n = 145). Las encuestas aplicadas fueron: Cuestionario de riesgo psicosocial, Cuestionario de salud y calidad de vida y Cuestionario sociodemográfico. Se realizó un análisis estadístico bivariado con pruebas no paramétricas de U de Mann Whitney, Kruskal Wallis, correlación de Spearman y modelos de regresión lineal múltiple. Resultados: Un 21% de los migrantes mantuvo en Chile la misma actividad laboral a la que se dedicaban en su país de origen. Si bien la calidad de vida de la salud física y mental es adecuada, 52% presenta bajas demandas psicológicas en el trabajo, 48,9% bajos niveles de trabajo activo y habilidades de desarrollo, 57,7% tiene un nivel de alto riesgo en la compensación y la autoestima, y 65,5% un nivel de alto riesgo de doble presencia en el trabajo. Los migrantes con mayor calidad de vida en la dimensión salud física presentan menor riesgo de mantener el equilibrio entre el esfuerzo y recompensa, poseen un trabajo de 44 horas a la semana y no llegaron a trabajar directamente al Maule. Los migrantes con mayor calidad de vida en la dimensión salud mental poseen menor riesgo en las demandas emocionales, perciben mayor apoyo social en la empresa y menor preocupación por las tareas domésticas. Conclusiones: Los migrantes con menor calidad de vida en la dimensión salud física, presentan menores compensaciones en el trabajo, bajo reconocimiento, llegaron directamente a trabajar a la región y poseían trabajos con menos horas de contrato. Los trabajadores con menor calidad de vida en su salud mental exhiben mayor riesgo en las exigencias psicológicas en el trabajo, perciben bajo apoyo social en la empresa y preocupación por responder al trabajo doméstico y al asalariado.

Estudio transversal sobre la calidad de vida y el riesgo psicosocial de trabajadores migrantes / A cross-sectional study on the quality of life and psychosocial risk of migrant workers

INTRODUCIÓN: Las cifras migratorias sitúan a Chile como uno de los países sudamericanos con mayor número de migrantes. El presente estudio estimó la relación entre características sociodemográficas, calidad de vida y riesgos psicosociales laborales en migrantes trabajadores de la región del Maule. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal con trabajadores migrantes entre 18 y 60 años, residentes en la Región del Maule (n = 145). Las encuestas aplicadas fueron: Cuestionario de riesgo psicosocial, Cuestionario de salud y calidad de vida y Cuestionario sociodemográfico. Se realizó un análisis estadístico bivariado con pruebas no paramétricas de U de Mann Whitney, Kruskal Wallis, correlación de Spearman y modelos de regresión lineal múltiple. RESULTADOS: Un 21% de los migrantes mantuvo en Chile la misma actividad laboral a la que se dedicaban en su país de origen. Si bien la calidad de vida de la salud física y mental es adecuada, 52% presenta bajas demandas psicológicas en el trabajo, 48,9% bajos niveles de trabajo activo y habilidades de desarrollo, 57,7% tiene un nivel de alto riesgo en la compensación y la autoestima, y 65,5% un nivel de alto riesgo de doble presencia en el trabajo. Los migrantes con mayor calidad de vida en la dimensión salud física presentan menor riesgo de mantener el equilibrio entre el esfuerzo y recompensa, poseen un trabajo de 44 horas a la semana y no llegaron a trabajar directamente al Maule. Los migrantes con mayor calidad de vida en la dimensión salud mental poseen menor riesgo en las demandas emocionales, perciben mayor apoyo social en la empresa y menor preocupación por las tareas domésticas. CONCLUSIONES: Los migrantes con menor calidad de vida en la dimensión salud física, presentan menores compensaciones en el trabajo, bajo reconocimiento, llegaron directamente a trabajar a la región y poseían trabajos con menos horas de contrato. Los trabajadores con menor calidad de vida en su salud mental exhiben mayor riesgo en las exigencias psicológicas en el trabajo, perciben bajo apoyo social en la empresa y preocupación por responder al trabajo doméstico y al asalariado.

INTRODUCTION: Migration figures place Chile as one of the South American countries with the highest rate of migrants. The present study estimated the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, quality of life, and psychosocial occupational risks in migrant workers from the Maule region. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with migrant workers between 18 and 60 years of age residing in the Maule region (n = 145). The applied questionnaires were: a psychosocial risk questionnaire, a health and quality of life questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. A bivariate statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal Wallis, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: In Chile, 21% of the migrants maintained the same work activity as in their country of origin. Although the quality of life in physical and mental health is adequate, 52% have low psychological demands at work, 48.9% have low levels of active work and development skills, 57.7% have a high-risk level of compensation and self-esteem, and 65.5% have a high-risk level of double presence at work. Migrants with a higher quality of life in the physical health dimension have a lower risk of maintaining a balance between effort and reward; they worked 44 hours a week and did not work directly at Maule. Migrants with a higher quality of life in the mental health dimension have a lower risk of emotional demands, perceive greater social support in the company, and are less concerned about domestic chores. CONCLUSIONS: Migrants with lower quality of life in the physical health dimension presented less compensation at work and recognition, came to work directly in the region, and had jobs with fewer contract hours. Workers with lower quality of life in their mental health exhibited a greater risk of psychological demands at work and perceived low social support in the company; they were concerned about having to respond to domestic and salaried work.

Deepening the Divide: Health Inequities and Climate Change among Farmworkers.

Climate change amplifies social inequities, disproportionately impacting the health and well-being of populations already vulnerable to social risk factors associated with race, ethnicity, immigration status, and occupation. Recent hurricanes, extreme temperatures, wildfires, and droughts have directly impacted vulnerable populations, including farmworkers in the US and its territories. Understanding how systems increase poor health outcomes for farmworkers is important to create solutions that are practical, feasible, and sustainable. In this commentary, we discuss a framework to assess the climate crisis and its impact on farmworkers. Although environmental stressors impact all populations, the difference in the systems or structures surrounding individuals can increase the risks and diseases of vulnerable populations when responding to the effects of the climate crisis. This framework presents policies and systems that could be limiting for agricultural workers when exposed to environmental stressors and the direct or indirect consequences of not addressing them.

Path of exploring opportunities in a migrant workers returning- to home entrepreneurial ecosystem / O caminho da exploração de oportunidades em um ecossistema de trabalhadores migrantes e empreendedorismo de retorno de cidade natal

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, returning-home entrepreneurship has received increasing attention from social and academic circles. This paper adopted the method of descriptive statistics to analyze the current situation, and the process by which entrepreneurs in the returning-home entrepreneurship ecosystem participate in the development of entrepreneurial opportunities from two dimensions: resource acquisition and institutional support. This research adopted the method of social network analysis to explore the mechanism of opportunity development of each subject of the returning-home entrepreneurship ecosystem. The results showed that during the opportunity development of returning-home entrepreneurship, all the subjects in the returning-home entrepreneurship ecosystem participated with their own resources and capabilities and jointly promoted the development of opportunities. During the development of these opportunities, each subject in the returning-home entrepreneurship ecosystem participated in different ways and with different emphases. This paper enriched the integration research of returning-home entrepreneurship theory and innovation ecosystem theory, and provided a reference for realizing rural revitalization and promoting regional economic development.

Com o rápido desenvolvimento da industrialização e da urbanização, o empreendedorismo voltando para cidade natal tem recebido cada vez mais atenção dos círculos sociais e acadêmicos. Nesse texto, adotando um método de análise estatística descritiva, analisamos a situação atual e o processo pelo qual os empreendedores do ecossistema de empreendedorismo voltando para cidade natal participam do desenvolvimento de oportunidades empreendedoras nas duas dimensões: aquisição de recursos e apoio institucional. E adotando o método de análise de rede social, exploramos o mecanismo de desenvolvimento de oportunidades de cada sujeito do ecossistema de empreendedorismo de retorno de cidade natal. Os resultados mostram que durante o desenvolvimento das oportunidades de empreendedorismo de retorno de cidade natal, todos os sujeitos do ecossistema de empreendedorismo de retorno de cidade natal participaram com seus próprios recursos e capacidades e promoveram conjuntamente o desenvolvimento de oportunidades. Durante o desenvolvimento dessas oportunidades, cada sujeito do ecossistema do empreendedorismo de retorno de cidade natal participou de diferentes formas e com diferentes ênfases. Este texto ajuda a enriquecer a pesquisa de integração da teoria do empreendedorismo de retorno de cidade natal e da teoria do ecossistema de inovação, e além disso fornece uma referência para realizar a revitalização rural e promover o desenvolvimento econômico regional.

Low-wage migrant workers during coronavirus disease 2019: a social determinants analysis.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has had disproportionate effects on economically and socially marginalized people. We explore the effects on low-wage migrant workers (migrant workers) in three countries: Singapore, South Korea and Brazil, through the lens of the social determinants of health. Our analysis shows that governments missed key opportunities to mitigate pandemic risks for migrant workers. Government measures demonstrate potential for effective and sustainable policy reform, including universal and equitable access to healthcare, social safety nets and labour rights for migrant workers-key concerns of the Global Compact for Migration. A whole-of-society and a whole-of-government approach with Health in All Policies, and migrant worker frameworks developed by the World Health Organization could be instrumental. The current situation indicates a need to frame public health crisis responses and policies in ways that recognize social determinants as fundamental to health.

Does public pension impact migrant workers nutrition: evidence from urban pension insurance in China / A previdência pública impacta a nutrição de trabalhadores migrantes: evidências do seguro de pensão urbana na China

Based on the data of “employment and food demand of urban migrant workers”, this paper empirically analyzed the impact of urban pension insurance on the nutritional intake structure of migrant workers. The results showed that participating in urban pension insurance can change the nutritional intake structure of migrant workers. Additionally, fat and protein replace carbohydrate as the main nutrition sources for migrant workers. After controlling the income and labor intensity of migrant workers and other factors, urban pension insurance has a positive effect on the intake of fat and protein of migrant workers for they increase by 13.5% and 8.8% respectively. There is no significant effect on the intake of carbohydrates of migrant workers. The calorie intake of migrant workers increases by 6.8% accounting for the change of nutritional intake structure. Endogenous and robustness tests showed that the above conclusions are robust. Heterogeneity analysis showed that there is no significant difference in the effect of urban pension insurance on calorie intake of migrant workers in different income levels and age groups.(AU)

Este artigo usa os dados da pesquisa de “Emprego e demanda alimentar dos trabalhadores migrantes urbanos” para analisar empiricamente o impacto do seguro patrimonial urbano na estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes. O estudo constatou que: o seguro-pensão urbano mudou a estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes. Gordura e proteína substituíram os carboidratos e se tornaram a principal fonte de nutrição dos trabalhadores migrantes. Depois de controlar fatores como a renda e a intensidade do trabalho dos trabalhadores migrantes, o seguro de pensão urbana aumentou significativamente a ingestão de gordura e proteína dos trabalhadores migrantes em 13,5% e 8,8%, respectivamente, enquanto a ingestão de carboidratos dos trabalhadores migrantes não foi afetada. Significativamente afetado. A transformação da estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes aumentou sua ingestão calórica em 6,8%. Os testes de endogenia e robustez mostram que as conclusões acima são robustas. A análise de heterogeneidade mostra que não há diferença significativa no efeito do seguro previdenciário urbano sobre o aumento da ingestão de calorias para trabalhadores migrantes de diferentes níveis de renda e diferentes grupos etários.(AU)

Does public pension impact migrant workers' nutrition: evidence from urban pension insurance in China / A previdência pública impacta a nutrição de trabalhadores migrantes: evidências do seguro de pensão urbana na China

ABSTRACT: Based on the data of "employment and food demand of urban migrant workers", this paper empirically analyzed the impact of urban pension insurance on the nutritional intake structure of migrant workers. The results showed that participating in urban pension insurance can change the nutritional intake structure of migrant workers. Additionally, fat and protein replace carbohydrate as the main nutrition sources for migrant workers. After controlling the income and labor intensity of migrant workers and other factors, urban pension insurance has a positive effect on the intake of fat and protein of migrant workers for they increase by 13.5% and 8.8% respectively. There is no significant effect on the intake of carbohydrates of migrant workers. The calorie intake of migrant workers increases by 6.8% accounting for the change of nutritional intake structure. Endogenous and robustness tests showed that the above conclusions are robust. Heterogeneity analysis showed that there is no significant difference in the effect of urban pension insurance on calorie intake of migrant workers in different income levels and age groups.

RESUMO: Este artigo usa os dados da pesquisa de "Emprego e demanda alimentar dos trabalhadores migrantes urbanos" para analisar empiricamente o impacto do seguro patrimonial urbano na estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes. O estudo constatou que: o seguro-pensão urbano mudou a estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes. Gordura e proteína substituíram os carboidratos e se tornaram a principal fonte de nutrição dos trabalhadores migrantes. Depois de controlar fatores como a renda e a intensidade do trabalho dos trabalhadores migrantes, o seguro de pensão urbana aumentou significativamente a ingestão de gordura e proteína dos trabalhadores migrantes em 13,5% e 8,8%, respectivamente, enquanto a ingestão de carboidratos dos trabalhadores migrantes não foi afetada. Significativamente afetado. A transformação da estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes aumentou sua ingestão calórica em 6,8%. Os testes de endogenia e robustez mostram que as conclusões acima são robustas. A análise de heterogeneidade mostra que não há diferença significativa no efeito do seguro previdenciário urbano sobre o aumento da ingestão de calorias para trabalhadores migrantes de diferentes níveis de renda e diferentes grupos etários.

Does public pension impact migrant workers’ nutrition: evidence from urban pension insurance in China / A previdência pública impacta a nutrição de trabalhadores migrantes: evidências do seguro de pensão urbana na China

Based on the data of “employment and food demand of urban migrant workers”, this paper empirically analyzed the impact of urban pension insurance on the nutritional intake structure of migrant workers. The results showed that participating in urban pension insurance can change the nutritional intake structure of migrant workers. Additionally, fat and protein replace carbohydrate as the main nutrition sources for migrant workers. After controlling the income and labor intensity of migrant workers and other factors, urban pension insurance has a positive effect on the intake of fat and protein of migrant workers for they increase by 13.5% and 8.8% respectively. There is no significant effect on the intake of carbohydrates of migrant workers. The calorie intake of migrant workers increases by 6.8% accounting for the change of nutritional intake structure. Endogenous and robustness tests showed that the above conclusions are robust. Heterogeneity analysis showed that there is no significant difference in the effect of urban pension insurance on calorie intake of migrant workers in different income levels and age groups.

Este artigo usa os dados da pesquisa de “Emprego e demanda alimentar dos trabalhadores migrantes urbanos” para analisar empiricamente o impacto do seguro patrimonial urbano na estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes. O estudo constatou que: o seguro-pensão urbano mudou a estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes. Gordura e proteína substituíram os carboidratos e se tornaram a principal fonte de nutrição dos trabalhadores migrantes. Depois de controlar fatores como a renda e a intensidade do trabalho dos trabalhadores migrantes, o seguro de pensão urbana aumentou significativamente a ingestão de gordura e proteína dos trabalhadores migrantes em 13,5% e 8,8%, respectivamente, enquanto a ingestão de carboidratos dos trabalhadores migrantes não foi afetada. Significativamente afetado. A transformação da estrutura de ingestão nutricional dos trabalhadores migrantes aumentou sua ingestão calórica em 6,8%. Os testes de endogenia e robustez mostram que as conclusões acima são robustas. A análise de heterogeneidade mostra que não há diferença significativa no efeito do seguro previdenciário urbano sobre o aumento da ingestão de calorias para trabalhadores migrantes de diferentes níveis de renda e diferentes grupos etários.

Prevalence of low back pain in migrant construction workers in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare employment conditions, psychosocial working conditions, and prevalence of low back pain among migrant and local construction workers in Argentina. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study among workers from three contracting and eight subcontracting companies as well as 26 construction sites in the region of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 134 out of 150 local (89% response) and 141 out of 150 migrant construction workers (94% response) answered a validated questionnaire. Psychosocial working conditions were evaluated based on an imbalance between efforts and rewards (ERI). RESULTS: Compared to local workers, migrants were younger, more likely to work without a contract (57% vs 8%), to report ERI (81% vs 18%) and to suffer from low back pain during the 7-days before study (80% vs 42%) (all P < .0001). After mutual adjustment, being a migrant (prevalence ratio 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-3.0) and working without a contract (1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-2.1) were statistically significant risk factors for low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the precarious situation of migrant workers in the Argentinian construction industry and the potential health consequences. Provision of formal employment relations might help to better protect migrant workers' safety and health. Prospective studies are needed to assess the causes and effects of the findings we describe.

Comparing Oral Health Services Use in the Spanish and Immigrant Working Population.

We aim to analyze oral health services use and related factors in the immigrant working population compared to the Spanish counterparts. Cross-sectional study of working population (n = 8591) that responded Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS), 2011-2012. The association between oral health services use and migration status was estimated using logistic regression. Immigrant men presented a greater probability of oral health service use a year or more prior (aOR 1.63; 95% CI 1.26-2.02), independently of oral health, sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics. In immigrant women, greater probability of use of oral health services one year or more prior disappeared after adjusting for the same variables (aOR 1.15; 95% CI 0.91-1.45). Occupational social class and education level could explain better a high percentage of oral health service use one year or more prior in immigrant women but there is a persistent inequality in oral health service use in immigrant men.

Ambiguous Loss Experienced by Transnational Mexican Immigrant Families.

In this study, an ambiguous loss framework as described by Boss (1999, Ambiguous loss: Learning to live with unresolved grief, First Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA) was used to examine and understand the family experiences of Mexican immigrant agricultural workers in Minnesota. Transcripts from interviews with 17 workers in Minnesota and 17 family members in Mexico were analyzed using qualitative methodology to identify experiences of ambiguous loss in the participants' narratives. Key dimensions of ambiguous loss identified in the transcripts include: psychological family, feelings of chronic/recurring loss, finding support, and meaning making. In the category of psychological family, participants in both Mexico and the United States mourned the physical absence of their family members and experienced ambiguity regarding family responsibilities, but worked to maintain their psychological roles within the family. In the category of chronic/recurring loss, participants in both countries experienced chronic worry from not knowing if family members were safe, ambiguity regarding when the immigrant would return, and chronic stressors that compounded these feelings of loss. Participants in both countries coped with both real and ambiguous losses by accessing family support and by using ambiguous communication to minimize worry. Participants in Mexico also accessed work and community-based support. Participants in both countries made meaning of the ambiguous loss by identifying ways their lives were improved and goals were met as a result of the immigration for agricultural work in Minnesota.

Internationally recruited neonatal nurses' experiences in the National Health Service in London.

The aim of this study was to explore internationally recruited neonatal nurses' (IRNNs) perceptions of their experiences of working in the National Health Service (NHS) in London. This was an exploratory study. A purposive sample of 13 nurses (all females) from two teaching hospitals in London participated in this study. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were used to capture IRNNs views of working in the NHS in London. Five themes emerged, namely: motivation to migrate, lack of preparation for neonatal nurses, environmental conditions impacting on care delivery, neonatal nurses deskilling, and role restrictions as well as professional development. The findings of this study provide first-hand insights from the subjective perspectives of IRNN experiences. IRNNs experienced some challenges to their working lives; however, good preparation is important when recruiting them to work in the NHS.

Percepción sobre condiciones de trabajo y salud de la población inmigrante Colombiana en Alicante, España / A group of Colombian immigrants' self-perception regarding working conditions and health in Alicante, Spain

Objetivo: Explorar la autopercepción sobre condiciones laborales y salud en inmigrantes colombianos en Alicante, España. Material y método Estudio cualitativo descriptivo mediante 11 entrevistas y 2 grupos de discusión en trabajadores con y sin permiso de trabajo y residencia de más de 6 meses en la provincia de Alicante (España), durante los meses de noviembre de 2006 a enero de 2007. Se realizó análisis narrativo de contenido y se obtuvieron categorías mixtas de acuerdo y disenso. Resultados: La inmigración es entendida como un proyecto para mejorar las condiciones socioeconómicas del trabajador inmigrante y su familia. El reconocimiento social y laboral puede evitar la aparición de fenómenos de exclusión y discriminación. Las personas entrevistadas asociaron sus problemas de salud con sus condiciones de vida, manifestando que constituyen limitaciones para la realización de actividades cotidianas. Conclusiones: La situación laboral y de salud es considerada desde una perspectiva multidimensional, asociada a condiciones biológicas y socioculturales. Sería necesaria una mayor acción política para mejorar la situación económica, laboral y de salud de la población inmigrante.

Objective: Exploring the self-perceptions of a group of migrants from Colombia living in Alicante , Spain , regarding their working conditions and health. Material and methods This was a qualitative and descriptive research was conducted on a group of Colombian workers (with and without legal permission to work) having lived in Alicante ( Spain ) for more than 6 months. 11 interviews were carried out, plus 2 focal groups, from November 2006 to January 2007. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. A narrative analysis of the contents was carried out, a mixture of categories being obtained from different viewpoints. Results: Immigration was understood as being an action for improving an immigrant worker and family's socioeconomic conditions. Work and social recognition should lead to avoiding exclusion and discrimination. The people interviewed had associated their health problems with their living conditions. Such problems were considered to be a limitation on carrying out their daily activities. Conclusions: Working and health situations were perceived from a multi-dimensional perspective associated with biological and socio-cultural conditions. More political action should be taken for improving immigrant people's economic, work and health conditions.

[The Mexican farm workers' program in Canada: a comparison with the U.S. experience]. / El Programa de Trabajadores Agricolas Mexicanos con Canada: un contraste frente a la experiencia con Estados Unidos.

PIP: "This article describes the main features of an international worker program which has been operating for over twenty-five years, although it been hitherto largely unknown. The article focuses on the economic changes undergone by Canada, which led to the need to supplement its seasonal labor requirements with Caribbean and Mexican temporary workers.... Data on the Canadian program has shown that it has satisfactorily supplemented certain farm work requirements without experiencing any problems that could demerit its success, despite the number of years it has been operating." (EXCERPT)^ieng

Exploring AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of female Mexican migrant workers.

AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were assessed in female Mexican migrant laborers. Thirty-two women were administered a modified version of the Hispanic Condom Questionnaire. Respondents were knowledgeable about the major modes of HIV transmission, but one-third to one-half of the women believed that they could contract AIDS from unlikely casual sources. Although respondents reported few negative beliefs about condom use, actual condom use with sex partners was low and knowledge of proper condom use was problematic. Consequently, 75 percent reported never carrying condoms. Implications of these findings for future research and provision of services for female Mexican migrants are discussed.

PIP: According to US Department of Health and Human Services data for 1990, there are approximately 4.1 million migrant workers in the US, mainly of Mexican background. Half of all Mexican immigrants over the past 2 decades have been women. Findings are presented from a December 1992 assessment of AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among a sample of female Mexican migrant laborers in Jalisco, Mexico, a small agricultural sending community 210 km from Guadalajara. The 32 women administered a modified version of the Hispanic Condom Questionnaire were of mean age 34.2 years and had lived and worked in the US since 1982. Women currently living in the US were visiting Jalisco for the Christmas holiday. Although the surveyed women were knowledgeable about the major modes of HIV transmission, 33-50% believed that they could contract AIDS from unlikely casual sources. Respondents reported few negative beliefs about condom use, but actual condom use with sex partners was low and knowledge of proper condom use was inadequate. 42% reported ever using a condom and 75% reported almost never carrying condoms. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to future research and the provision of services to female Mexican migrants.

Message from the Director.

PIP: This article, which introduces an issue of INSTRAW News that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, opens by expressing support for the Declaration and concern for the gap between the articulation and implementation of human rights. This gap is especially apparent in the stubborn persistence of gender inequalities. Throughout the world, women's rights are violated and their very lives threatened by violence and the threat of violence. Women's advocates have managed to bring the issue of domestic violence to the fore in many countries, but other countries bow to the traditional notion that what happens in the private sphere is not a public sphere concern. Additional threats to the rights of women are found in the trend towards defining identity on the basis of community membership rather than on an individual basis. This ignores the fact that cultures, traditions, and religions are not gender neutral and routinely transgress women's human rights. This also questions whether cultural imperatives in a multicultural world render the very notion of universal human rights inappropriate or whether cultural diversity can be respected without endangering human rights. Situating identity in notions of community can also lead to atrocities such as ethnic cleansing. Another threat is found in the lack of infrastructure to address the violation of the human rights of women international migrant workers and of displaced women. INSTRAW is committed to conducting research to bridge the gap between policy initiatives and women's demands and emphasizes that constructs of masculinity must be examined to transform unequal gender structures.^ieng

[Migrants from bordering countries in the labor force of the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, 1980-1996]. / Migrantes limitrofes en el mercado de trabajo del area metropolitana de Buenos Aires, 1980-1996.

PIP: Data from the 1991 Argentine census indicate that migrants from neighboring countries at that date were maintaining patterns of entry into the labor force of Buenos Aires consistent with past tendencies. Migrants tended to be employed in less skilled manufacturing industries, construction, commerce, and domestic work, often filling positions rejected by the native population because of low wages and poor working conditions. Profound changes in the Argentine economy since 1991 have included rising unemployment and underemployment and a loss of productive jobs in industry and construction. A comparison of the occupational structure of migrants from neighboring countries and of the total population for the years 1980, 1991, and 1996 demonstrates that important changes in sectorial employment have occurred among both the native and immigrant populations, with the immigrant population increasingly relegated to ever smaller sectors of the labor market offering less attractive employment. Nearly half of the 841,697 persons immigrating in 1991 from countries bordering Argentina settled in the Buenos Aires metropolitan region, comprising 42.8% of foreigners in the metropolitan area and 3.7% of the total regional population. Of the population from border countries residing in Buenos Aires, 43% are Paraguayan, 28% Uruguayan, 15% Bolivian, 12% Chilean, and 2% Brazilian. The unemployment rate in Buenos Aires fluctuated between 4% and 6% during 1974-92, but it rose to 10.6% in 1993 and then to 18% in 1996. The underemployment rate rose from 4.6% in 1983 to 8.2% in 1993 and 12.6% in 1996.^ieng

[Demographic dynamics, migrants from bordering countries and economic activity in Buenos Aires]. / Dinamica demografica, migracion limitrofe y actividad economica en Buenos Aires.

PIP: The growth and changes--by age, sex, and place of birth--in the structure of the total population of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and of the subpopulation over 15 years of age and economically active are analyzed for the decade of the 1980s. Study of the economic participation of migrants and its possible influence on levels of employment or unemployment should be carried out within the framework of changes in the population's structure and economic participation. The 1981 and 1991 censuses and the Permanent Survey of Households were the sources of data. Immigration to Argentina has declined considerably in recent years, but it is still a factor in the population growth of metropolitan Buenos Aires. Between the 1981 and 1991 censuses, the population aged 15 and over grew by 10.9/1000, or a total of 827,806 people. Migrants from bordering countries increased in number (by 85,109, or 10.3%) and in proportion to the total population (from 3.9% to 4.6%). Migrant women increased at the highest rate (30.1/1000). The greatest growth occurred among men aged 40 and over and among women aged 35 and over. The growth of the economically active population over age 15 for different groups of national origin, sex, and age showed much greater heterogeneity. In 1991, women from bordering countries represented 3.8% of all women in metropolitan Buenos Aires but 5.7% of the total economically active female population and nearly 7% of the economically active female population aged 35 and over. Women from neighboring countries were responsible for 10.3% of the growth in the economically active female population aged 30-34 and 40-44 between 1981 and 1991. The absolute and relative increases in migrants from neighboring countries and their greater economic participation tend to increase the general level of economic activity.^ieng

Patients' associations and the control of leishmaniasis in Peru.

American mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is an important health problem in Peru, particularly in the mountainous Cuzco Region, where 25% of all new cases reported in 1989 were located. Cases have increased considerably since the beginning of the 1980s, when large-scale seasonal migration to endemic zones occurred, particularly the forest area of Madre de Dios, following the discovery of new gold deposits there, and the deterioration in the economic situation in Peru. Following the lack of official response from the Peruvian government, hundreds of people suffering from leishmaniasis in the Cuzco area formed self-help associations with the objective of obtaining the drugs needed to treat their disease. The major achievement of this spontaneous movement, which was supported by several public and private institutions, was to encourage sick people, particularly patients with mucosal lesions, to emerge from isolation. As a result, the prevalence and incidence of the disease have now considerably decreased in the region.

PIP: The deterioration in Peru's economic situation and the discovery of new gold deposits in the mountainous Cuzco Region have been associated with a considerable increase in cases of American mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Following a lack of government response to this serious health problem, people with leishmaniasis in the town of Sicuani formed a patients' association in 1983 to try to obtain appropriate drugs for treatment. In 1983-93, eight additional patients' associations were established and, in 1990, these associations (representing 1648 members) united with health authorities and other institutions in the Cuzco Region to form a committee to coordinate their activities. The role of these associations was studied in field work conducted in the region in 1993. In interviews, association activists expressed demands that the government make free drugs available, offer financial compensation to those who acquire the disease through work, improve working conditions in the mines and living conditions for migrant workers, and identify other seasonal employment opportunities in order to prevent migration to the mining areas. The leishmaniasis movement, which originated as a spontaneous initiative, has become more structured and organized over time. A control strategy based on active case finding, early diagnosis, and early treatment of disease has been defined. A major achievement of the patients' associations, especially in Sicuani and Ocongate, has been to encourage sick people to emerge from their isolation. This program provides an example of successful multisectoral coordination and community participation of potential relevance in other countries where mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic.

AIDS and condom-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors in Mexican migrant laborers.

PIP: A survey of 87 Mexican migrants (55 males and 32 females) who have lived and worked in the US since 1982 assessed AIDS and condom-related knowledge, beliefs, and sexual practices. Although respondents were highly knowledgeable about major modes of HIV transmission, one-third to one-half believed that HIV could be contracted from mosquito bites, public bathrooms, kissing, and the HIV test. Only 15% knew someone with AIDS. Ever-use of condoms was reported by 70.9% of men and 41.9% of women. Of the 68 subjects who had been sexually active in the year preceding the survey, 20 reported two or more partners. Among sexually active respondents, 16.2% always used condoms with their primary partner, while 43.0% used condoms consistently with occasional partners. 48.9% of men and 57.1% of women never used condoms with their primary partner; with casual partners, these rates were 30.8% and 44.4%, respectively. Worry about contracting AIDS, self-rated on a scale from 1 (very often) to 4 (never), averaged 2.84, with higher worry scores among those 18-31 years of age and with multiple partners. Respondents did not anticipate negative consequences of condom use (e.g., reduced sexual pleasure), but females expressed concern that carrying condoms would cause them to be viewed as promiscuous.^ieng