Construction employment mortality among Mexican immigrants in the South Eastern United States, 2003-2013
International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
ISSN: 1747-9894
Article publication date: 10 December 2020
Issue publication date: 10 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate occupational and non-occupational mortality among Mexican immigrants in the South Eastern United States. The construction industry has the highest burden of occupational fatalities in the USA of all industries, and foreign-born Hispanic workers are disproportionately affected.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained from 3,093 death certificates maintained by the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta, Georgia. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were used to compare occupational-related deaths among construction industry occupations, and logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between manners of death not related to occupation and employment in the construction industry.
Findings
The proportion of Mexican immigrants who died from occupational injuries is higher among all construction workers (SMR = 1.31), roofers (SMR = 2.32) and carpenters (SMR = 2.25) than other workers. Among the population in this analysis suicide [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.63] and death from natural causes (aOR = 0.70) were inversely related to work in the construction industry.
Research limitations/implications
Interventions to reduce occupational fatalities among Mexican migrant construction workers should target roofers and carpenters. Future research should further investigate the industry’s association with suicide and natural death.
Originality/value
This is one of the first analyzes that investigated associations between construction industry employment and non-occupational fatalities among immigrants. The analysis provides evidence that a large portion of the Mexican immigrant population is used in the construction industry (38%) and face elevated risks for occupational fatalities and the results of this investigation should encourage greater surveillance of occupational illness and injury among foreign-born immigrants who work in construction, as well as other high-risk industries.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was made possible through collaboration and support of many individuals and organizations. This could not have been done without the support of the with Mexican Secretary of Exterior Relations, the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta Georgia, and the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. The authors would especially like to express gratitude to, Michael Flynn, Tania Carreon-Valencia, Edurne Pineda Ayerbe, Fabiola Jimenez-Moran, Maria del Carmen Moreno, and Rafael Bernal Cuevas.
Citation
Welton, M., Shen, Y., Ebell, M., DeJoy, D. and Robb, S.W. (2020), "Construction employment mortality among Mexican immigrants in the South Eastern United States, 2003-2013", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 349-358. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-08-2018-0055
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited