We are studying the bidirectional relationship between work-related injuries and substance use, particularly for commercial fishermen who face dangerous working conditions, have limited sick leave benefits, and lack preventive healthcare access. Our team is implementing and studying the feasibility of using healthcare navigators to identify and address biopsychosocial factors that lead to increased injury and substance misuse, as well as evaluate whether and how participants use and access the healthcare navigators. The project brings together worker health equity and structural/social dimensions of health models to understand the bidirectional relationship between injury and substance misuse, and to address these interlinked issues by improving biopsychosocial factors among low socioeconomic status and migrant workers.

Funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH)/US Coast Guard (USCG)

We’re just beginning this work, but come back for results soon!

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), commercial fishermen have nearly 40x the fatality rate compared to the national average. That’s why, through partnerships with Gulf Coast communities, we are studying how mobile clinics can decrease health disparities and increase health equity among fishermen, dock workers, and their families.

Funded by the NIOSH Center, Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education

We’re just beginning this work too, but come back for results soon!

By conducting an ethnography with fishermen, and translating the results for policymakers, we are exploring how fishermen’s stories and photos can help inform policy solutions.

Funded by NIOSH

Research Results: Paper forthcoming

Research-to-Policy: Meeting with legislators by centering the stories and photos from fishermen

Through photovoice, interviews, and focus group discussions, we examined how the social determinants of health impact fatal and non-fatal injury among migrant workers.

Funded by the NIOSH Center, Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education

Research Results: Paper forthcoming

Research-to-Practice: We implemented a Docside Clinic for fishermen, dock workers, and their families. Read more about it here: A community-led mobile health clinic to improve structural and social determinants of health among (im)migrant workers

We conduced a secondary data analysis of NOAA’s Voices of the Fishermen project to examine how political-economic structures impact the health of fishermen.

Funded by the NIOSH Center, Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education

Research Results: The impact of economic deregulation for health disparities among Gulf of Mexico commercial fishermen

We implemented a text-messaging program for shrimpers during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase safety training and hurricane preparedness.

Funded by the NIOSH Center, Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education

Research Results: Dissemination and Implementation of a Text Messaging Campaign to Improve Health Disparities among Im/Migrant Workers

To identify and implement solutions that address the unique hazards within the seafood industry, we conducted interviews with seafood processors and industry decision-makers in the Gulf Coast region, as they have unique characteristics and challenges as compared to other fisheries in the United States (US). Our aim was to examine the experiences of Gulf Coast seafood workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how workplace and social factors impacted their health and quality of life, as well as explore how the structural-social determinants of health (SDoH) impact workers’ risks and health outcomes.

Funded by NIOSH

Research results: Paper forthcoming

With fatal injuries six times the rate of all US occupations, people who live and work at sea are part of one of the most dangerous occupations. Few ships have health care workers aboard despite many seafarers being at sea for months. A photo-ethnography was implemented over a one-year period and included male Filipino seafarers who worked 9-month contracts at sea.

Results from the project reveal that seafarers routinely underreport adverse work and health conditions for fear of losing future work contracts. We also found that changing economic structures have adverse effects on seafarers’ health.

Adverse work experiences included dangerous vessels and routes as well as being encouraged to work with little sleep or through storms.

Adverse health issues included severe to moderate injury and illness, which they concealed from management.

Ultimately, it was revealed that political-economic systems are internalized and embodied among migrant workers who are employed under short-term contracts, leading to decreased healthcare-seeking behaviors and increased health disparities.