FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Karies, 42100, Trikala, Greece.
Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
J Immigr Minor Health. 2023 Aug;25(4):816-823. doi: 10.1007/s10903-023-01493-2. Epub 2023 May 20.
The present observational study was conducted to uncover potential differences in the risk of experiencing high occupational heat strain during agriculture work between migrants and their native coworkers, as well as to elucidate the factors that may contribute to such differences. The study took place over the period from 2016 through 2019 and involved monitoring 124 experienced and acclimatized individuals from high-income (HICs), upper-middle-income (UMICs), as well as lower-middle- and low-income (LMICs) countries. Baseline self-reported data for age, body stature, and body mass were collected at the start of the study. Second-by-second video recordings throughout the work shifts were captured using a video camera and were used to estimate workers' clothing insulation, covered body surface area, and body posture, as well as to calculate their walking speed, the amount of time they spent on different activities (and their intensity) and unplanned breaks throughout their work shifts. All information derived from the video data was used to calculate the physiological heat strain experienced by the workers. The core temperature of migrant workers from LMICs (37.81 ± 0.38 °C) and UMICs (37.71 ± 0.35 °C) was estimated to be significantly higher compared to the core temperature of native workers from HICs (37.60 ± 0.29 °C) (p < 0.001). Moreover, migrant workers from LMICs faced a 52% and 80% higher risk for experiencing core body temperature above the safety threshold of 38 °C compared to migrant workers from UMICs and native workers from HICs, respectively. Our findings show that migrant workers originating from LMICs experience higher levels of occupational heat strain, as compared to migrant workers from UMICs and native workers from HICs, because they take fewer unplanned breaks during work, they work at a higher intensity, they wear more clothing, and they have a smaller body size.
本观察性研究旨在揭示移民与本地同事在农业工作中经历高职业热应激风险方面的潜在差异，并阐明可能导致这种差异的因素。该研究于 2016 年至 2019 年期间进行，监测了来自高收入（HICs）、中上收入（UMICs）以及中低收入和低收入（LMICs）国家的 124 名经验丰富且适应工作环境的个体。在研究开始时，收集了年龄、身高等基线自我报告数据。通过摄像机对整个工作班次的秒级视频记录，用于估计工人的服装隔热、暴露身体表面积和身体姿势，并计算他们的步行速度、他们在不同活动（及其强度）上花费的时间以及工作班次中的无计划休息时间。所有从视频数据中得出的信息都用于计算工人经历的生理热应激。来自 LMICs（37.81 ± 0.38°C）和 UMICs（37.71 ± 0.35°C）的移民工人的核心体温估计明显高于来自 HICs 的本地工人的核心体温（37.60 ± 0.29°C）（p < 0.001）。此外，与来自 UMICs 的移民工人和来自 HICs 的本地工人相比，来自 LMICs 的移民工人经历核心体温超过 38°C 安全阈值的风险分别高出 52%和 80%。我们的研究结果表明，与来自 UMICs 的移民工人和来自 HICs 的本地工人相比，来自 LMICs 的移民工人经历更高水平的职业热应激，因为他们在工作期间休息时间较少，工作强度更高，穿着更多的衣服，并且身材较小。
