Current Projects

Projects are awarded funding from NIOSH on a competitive basis.

Migrant Adolescent Health Research Study
Principal Investigator: Sharon Cooper, Ph.D.
This research project aims to document the prevalence of chronic disease indicators among farmworker adolescents such as obesity and Type II diabetes to support prevention and policy measures to mitigate the human and social costs of chronic disease.

Innovative Approaches to Worker Health Protection Among Shrimp Fishermen of the Gulf Coast
Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Levin, M.D., M.S.P.H.
Workplace factors and lifestyle behaviors that contribute to illness & injury among this population will be used to facilitate community-based planning, implementation, and evaluation of measures to reduce work injury risks.

Model Farmers Dissemination Project
Principal Investigator: Deborah Helitzer, Sc. D.
A case/control intervention will be used to determine best management practices including pesticide safety application to reduce health risks and improve crop yield in this area where pesticide use in novel.

Poultry Dust Exposure and Lung Inflammation
Principal Investigator: Vijay Boggaram, Ph.D.
Although the prevalence and severity of respiratory illness is higher among poultry workers, compared to other animal farm workers, there is insufficient information on the effects of poultry dust on lung inflammatory responses and lung disease. Considering the rapid growth of poultry production and the risk for exposed workers to develop lung diseases, it is very important to understand mechanisms mediating poultry dust induced lung inflammation and lung disease in order to develop new preventive measures and treatments. The proposed studies use in vitro cell culture and mouse model systems to elucidate molecular mechanisms mediating inflammatory responses of alveolar and airway epithelial cells to poultry dust.

Neuromotor Function & Work Injury Risk Among Hispanic Adolescent Farmworkers
Principal Investigator: Eva Shipp, Ph.D.
This project will examine whether chronic, low-level exposure to pesticides is a major contributor to injury among adolescent farmworkers. The scope of work seeks to (1) build research capacity with strategic partnerships, (2) collect study variables before and after the migration season when exposure occurs, and (3) use study findings to carry out research to practice activities. The long term goal is this project is to reduce the high rates of injury among adolescent farmworkers by intervening on main contributing causes.

Educational Approach to Increase Respirator Use Among Broiler Chicken Workers
Principal Investigator: Matthew Nonnenmann, Ph.D., CIH
Broiler chicken workers in confined animal feeding operations are exposed to inhalation hazards that include dust, bacteria, fungi, endotoxin and ammonia. Broiler workers or "growers" may not be aware of the inhalation hazards present in broiler buildings or adequately trained to select and correctly use respiratory protection. Therefore, the proposed studies are aimed to determine the awareness of inhalation hazards, tasks performed, respirator usage and barriers to respirator use in the broiler production environment among two geographically isolated groups of broiler growers in Texas.

Marketing Safety and Health among Vietnamese Commercial Fishermen
Principal Investigator: Ann Carruth, DNS, RN
Commercial fishing injury and mortality rates are among the highest in the world. The goal of this project is to expand current NIOSH research related to Worker Health Protection among Shrimp Fishermen of the Gulf Coast, with a long term goal to effectively reduce illness and injuries through a social marketing campaign. This project aims to (1) establish a baseline of Vietnamese fishermen knowledge, behaviors, cultural norms, and unmet needs, and (2) design and test a social marketing intervention campaign to increase vessel safety and health mitigation behaviors among Vietnamese shrimp fishermen.