Poster-Maria Jose Sanchez

Latino immigrant cattle feedyard workers are at risk of developing chronic health conditions including depression and anxiety, leading causes of disability; however, due to cultural norms, stigma, mental health literacy, poverty, and limited access to healthcare, mental health conditions may be underrecognized, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. Pain may present as a symptom of a mental health condition. This poster used data from the “Health and Safety among Latino Immigrant Cattle Feedyard Workers in the Central States Region” project collected in Nebraska and Kansas between 2017-2020 (n=243; 90.9% male). Pearson correlations and logistic regression were used to assess the association between pain, depression, anxiety, and demographic covariates. We found that pain was positively correlated with age, depression, anxiety, poor health, ever being injured in feedyard work, and income; however, only anxiety and age remained significatively associated with pain in the logistic regression model. Health and safety education, outreach, and training should incorporate information on mental health, including physical symptoms such as pain. Increasing awareness of mental health, recognition of symptoms, and resources for seeking care may benefit workers, family members, and employers. Integration of mental health screening and services in primary care settings in rural areas may improve feedyard workers’ health.