Profile of illnesses of rural workers from the interior of São Paulo state

Abstract

A descriptive study, using quantitative data analysis carried out with the purpose to analyze the disease profile of rural workers who searched for care in the emergence unit of a public hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Data from 848 care sessions delivered to 318 rural workers during 2006 and registered in the hospital database were analyzed. Data analysis showed that most workers were young, between 20 and 39 years of age, male, with low educational level, were land workers and from the region of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Most of the registered illnesses affected the workers’ heads (36.7%), followed by disorders of the upper limbs (8.2%), trunk (7.3%) and lower limbs (4.7%). The main causes of health problems were: trauma, injuries, fractures, burns, dislocations, sprains, contusions, falls, penetration of foreign objects, contact with poisonous animals, accidents with agricultural machines, handling work tools, abuse and aggressions. Thus, it is concluded that rural work can offer several risks to workers’ health, which can be directly related to their illnesses.