Chronic conditions and barriers to care: exploring the health of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Indiana

Purpose - Migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) have many health challenges due to the nature of their work, low wages, living conditions, mobility, and lack of health insurance. The purpose of this paper is to assess the availability of health services, barriers to accessing health care, and the prevalence of chronic conditions among MSFWs in Indiana. Design/methodology/approach - A site-based convenience sample of MSFWs aged 14 years and older completed a cross-sectional survey. A total of 97 participants who currently or previously identified as farmworkers completed the questionnaire. Findings - Almost one-third of the respondents reported no access to a health care provider. Of those, 43 percent reported that cost prevented them from seeking care. Of those who reported chronic conditions (n = 22), over 50 percent did not have access to a health care provider. These findings highlight the need to further investigate the magnitude of the problem and begin exploring ways to improve affordable health care access among MSFWs in Northeastern Indiana. Originality/value - The results from this study highlight the need for the development and implementation of community health education programs that target MSFWs in Indiana. The findings, although not generalized, offer important insights into health care challenges and barriers to access in Indiana. The authors recommend that assistance programs should be implemented for providing affordable health care services for Hispanic MSFWs.