Use of Health Services Among Vineyard and Winery Workers in the North Willamette Valley, Oregon

Although agricultural work is considered one of the most dangerous and physically demanding jobs, the majority of farmworkers
remain vulnerable to disease and injury, while use of health services is limited. The present study analyzes the use of health
care services among vineyard and winery workers in the North Willamette Valley, Oregon. Data from 513 foreign-born workers
collected during the summer of 2009 by ¡Salud! Services, was used to test the influence of relevant predisposing and enabling factors of the Behavioral Model of Health
Care Utilization among Vulnerable Populations. The majority of participants were males (87%) with an average age of 33 years.
Over half of the workers were either married or living with a partner (54%) and had children living with them (58%). Very
few spoke English (5%) and only a third had more than 6 years of formal education. Two-thirds of workers (65%) had a full
time job and shared housing (67%). Only one of every five workers (19%) had health insurance. Multivariate analyses show that
use of health services in the past 2 years is more likely among females, those who have children, have more than 6 years of
education, work full time, are insured, and are currently attending school. This study provides further insight for health
care provision initiatives to reduce the many barriers faced by farmworkers and their families.