Tobacco farming is considered Hazardous Child Labor in Brazil. This study examined the work of children and adolescents in tobacco farming, characterizing the level of urinary cotinine and the occurrence of Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS), pesticide poisoning, respiratory symptoms, and musculoskeletal disorders. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a random sample of tobacco growers under 18 years old in Southern Brazil. Ninety-nine young people were interviewed at 79 family farms. The majority began working in agriculture before they were 14 and worked harvesting and tying hands of tobacco; 60% were 16 or 17 years old, and 51.5% were male. During their lifetime, 24.5% reported GTS, and 3% reported pesticide poisoning. In the previous year, 29.3% reported low back pain, 6.1% wheezing, and 16.2% coughing without having a cold. Half of the 12 young people evaluated had over 100 ng/mL of urinary cotinine. The study indicates that child laborers do various activities and present a high prevalence of health problems. Health workers should be trained to identify child laborers and their impacts on health. Full-time farm schools could provide knowledge about sustainable agricultural production, reducing the rates of age-grade mismatch, without taking young people away from rural areas.

There are discrepancies in the literature regarding time trends in the occurrence of asthma in adults. This study compared asthma prevalence in two cross-sectional studies with a ten-year interval in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The first, in 2000, included 1,968 individuals, and the second, in 2010, 2,466 adults (20-69 years). Prevalence of wheezing and shortness of breath in the prior 12 months remained the same after ten years (6% and 6.1%, respectively). In both studies, asthma was more frequent among females and people with low family income. Physician-diagnosed asthma increased by 35.6%, and lifetime incidence of asthma, by 32.2%. There was no percentage change in current asthma symptoms or current asthma. Local socioeconomic improvement between the two studies was consistent with the increase in medical diagnosis, but did not reflect better management of asthma symptoms, underlining the need for investment regarding other determinants of the disease.

This study aims to assess neck pain prevalence and associated factors among tobacco farm workers. This is a cross-sectional study of 2,469 tobacco farm workers in southern Brazil. An adapted version of the Nordic Questionnaire of Musculoskeletal Symptoms was used to characterize neck pain. Multivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression, following a hierarchical theoretical model. Neck pain prevalence in the last year among the population studied was 7.4%. Worker age, tobacco smoking, tobacco bundling, use of heavy chainsaws, working at an intense or accelerated pace and green tobacco sickness were variables associated with neck pain in females. Among males, age, use of heavy chainsaws, working in a sitting position on the ground, pesticide poisoning, and green tobacco sickness were associated with the outcome. The study reinforces the importance of ergonomic and physiological workloads in the determination of neck pain. Future studies are needed to understand the role of pesticides and nicotine exposures on musculoskeletal problems. The mechanization of tobacco harvesting could reduce ergonomic and chemical exposure, thereby improving farmers’ health. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la prevalencia del dolor cervical y los factores asociados entre agricultores que producen tabaco. Se realizó un estudio transversal en el que participaron 2.469 agricultores que producen tabaco en el sur de Brasil. Para la caracterización del dolor cervical se utilizó una adaptación del cuestionario nórdico para síntomas musculoesqueléticos. El análisis multivariante se realizó mediante la regresión de Poisson, siguiendo un modelo teórico jerárquico. La prevalencia del dolor cervical en el año previo entre la población estudiada fue del 7,4%. Las variables que se asociaron con el dolor cervical entre las mujeres trabajadoras fueron la edad, el consumo de tabaco, el enfardado del tabaco, el uso de motosierras pesadas, trabajar en un ritmo intenso o acelerado y la enfermedad del tabaco verde, mientras que, entre los varones, fueron la edad, el uso de motosierras pesadas, el trabajo sentado en el suelo, la intoxicación por plaguicidas y la enfermedad del tabaco verde. El estudio refuerza la importancia de las cargas de trabajo ergonómicas y fisiológicas en la determinación del dolor cervical. Se necesitan estudios futuros para comprender el papel de la exposición a los plaguicidas y a la nicotina en los problemas musculoesqueléticos. La mecanización de la cosecha del tabaco podría reducir la exposición ergonómica y química, mejorando así la salud de los agricultores.

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of smoking and associated factors in a cross-sectional population-based sample of 2,464 tobacco farmers in 2011. Multivariate analysis in men assessed the association between smoking and socioeconomic, behavioral, and occupational variables. Some 31.2% of men and 3.1% of women were current smokers. In men, smoking was directly associated with age, schooling, income, heavy drinking, time at work in tobacco farming, and time of exposure to pesticides. Employment relationship was a risk factor for smoking, and participation in religious activities was a protective factor. Male tobacco farmers showed multiple risk behaviors and higher smoking prevalence than other farmers. Ignoring the risk and cultural legacy may be common factors for these behaviors and suggest combined approaches.

Resumo Introdução: dor na coluna torácica diz respeito a traumas cumulativos envolvendo má postura, movimentos repetitivos e longos períodos na mesma posição. Objetivo: avaliar a prevalência de dor na coluna torácica e fatores associados em fumicultores no sul do Brasil. Métodos: estudo transversal cuja associação entre o desfecho e os fatores sociodemográficos e comportamentais, atividades laborais, cargas de trabalho e comorbidades foram examinadas pelo teste de Wald para heterogeneidade e tendência linear. A análise multivariável foi realizada utilizando modelo hierárquico e regressão de Poisson com variância robusta. Resultados: o estudo envolveu 2.469 indivíduos de ambos os sexos. A prevalência de dor na coluna torácica foi de 21,2%. Limpar equipamento para aplicação de agrotóxico, número de episódios de Doença da Folha Verde, sintomas respiratórios e transtornos psiquiátricos menores foram positivamente associados ao desfecho em ambos os sexos. Tabagismo e intoxicação por agrotóxicos foram associados ao desfecho entre as mulheres, enquanto escolaridade e passar varas com folhas de tabaco foram associados aos homens. Conclusões: reestruturação ergonômica, redução das cargas de trabalho, trocas de posição durante o turno de trabalho e mecanização do processo de trabalho são estratégias importantes para reduzir a exposição à nicotina, agrotóxicos e carga de trabalho ergonômica.