Internet Devices and Internet Access Among Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers, North Carolina, 2023.

IF 3 4区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Public Health Reports Pub Date : 2024-11-19 DOI:10.1177/00333549241295632

Joseph G L Lee, Mary Roby, Leslie E Cofie, Catherine E LePrevost, Emery L Harwell, Elisabeth C Reed, Julianna Nieuwsma, Jamie E Bloss, Griffin C Anderson, Jocelyn R Santillán-Deras, Modjulie A Moore, Elizabeth Ketterman, Roger G Russell

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers work in rural areas where internet access may be limited. We assessed internet access, cost of access, and devices available to farmworkers through a statewide survey in North Carolina.

Methods: During the 2023 agricultural season, we surveyed 1034 migrant and seasonal farmworkers during routine outreach visits in partnership with community health workers employed by 8 community health centers or by nonprofit health service agencies serving farmworkers in North Carolina. We surveyed participants aged ≥18 years by using time-venue sampling and surveyed up to 5 farmworkers at migrant housing locations. We weighted participants to the total population of farmworkers living in surveyed housing and calculated frequencies and percentages of internet access, internet speed, internet cost, available internet devices, and awareness and use of the Affordable Connectivity Program-a program that was run from 2021 through May 31, 2024, by the Federal Communications Commission to make internet access more affordable in the United States. We assessed predictors of internet access and ability to use online videos by using regression models.

Results: Participants were predominantly Spanish-speaking men who lived in housing provided by farm owners. Among participants, 9.8% had internet connections with a cable or digital subscriber line, and 23.5% did not have consistent internet access. Most participants used cellular network internet (84.9%) and mobile phone devices (93.9%). Even among farmworkers who lived in their housing year-round, few had heard of (34.4%), applied to (4.8%), or used (2.0%) the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Conclusions: Interventions are needed to increase internet access and digital inclusion for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina. Development of state and county broadband infrastructure should consider farmworker housing.

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2023 年北卡罗来纳州流动和季节性农民工的互联网设备和上网情况。

目标：移民和季节性农民工在农村地区工作，那里的互联网接入可能有限。我们通过在北卡罗来纳州进行全州范围的调查，对农民工的互联网接入、接入成本和可用设备进行了评估：在 2023 年的农忙季节，我们与北卡罗来纳州 8 家社区卫生中心或为农民工提供服务的非营利性卫生服务机构聘用的社区卫生工作者合作，在例行外联访问中对 1034 名移民和季节性农民工进行了调查。我们采用时间途径抽样法对年龄≥18 岁的参与者进行了调查，并在农民工居住地对最多 5 名农民工进行了调查。我们将参与者与居住在被调查房屋中的农民工总人口进行加权，并计算了上网频率和百分比、网速、网费、可用的上网设备以及对 "可负担得起的连接计划 "的了解和使用情况--该计划由美国联邦通信委员会（Federal Communications Commission）实施，期限为 2021 年至 2024 年 5 月 31 日，目的是使美国的上网费用更加低廉。我们通过回归模型评估了互联网接入和使用在线视频能力的预测因素：参与者主要是讲西班牙语的男性，他们居住在农场主提供的住房中。在参与者中，9.8% 的人使用有线电视或数字用户线路连接互联网，23.5% 的人没有稳定的互联网接入。大多数参与者使用蜂窝网络互联网（84.9%）和移动电话设备（93.9%）。即使在常年居住的农民工中，也很少有人听说过（34.4%）、申请过（4.8%）或使用过（2.0%）"负担得起的连接计划"：需要采取干预措施，增加北卡罗来纳州农民工和季节性务农者的互联网接入和数字包容。州和县宽带基础设施的发展应考虑到农民工的住房问题。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Public Health Reports 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

6.10%

发文量

164

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Public Health Reports is the official journal of the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service and has been published since 1878. It is published bimonthly, plus supplement issues, through an official agreement with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. The journal is peer-reviewed and publishes original research and commentaries in the areas of public health practice and methodology, original research, public health law, and public health schools and teaching. Issues contain regular commentaries by the U.S. Surgeon General and executives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health. The journal focuses upon such topics as tobacco control, teenage violence, occupational disease and injury, immunization, drug policy, lead screening, health disparities, and many other key and emerging public health issues. In addition to the six regular issues, PHR produces supplemental issues approximately 2-5 times per year which focus on specific topics that are of particular interest to our readership. The journal''s contributors are on the front line of public health and they present their work in a readable and accessible format.