Health status in an invisible population: carnival and migrant worker children

Abstract

One goal of Healthy People 2010 (2003) is to close the gap of disparities in access to care and health. The purpose of this descriptive exploratory study was to evaluate health status indicators in the children of itinerant carnival and migrant farmworkers aged birth to 12 years. Health status outcomes (immunization records, well-child examinations, dental health status, and growth parameters) were compared between the two groups and to national averages to identify health disparities. All forms were available in Spanish and English. A total of 97 children were recruited for this study: 45 carnival children and 52 migrant farmworker children.