Research

The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety focuses on coastal fishery worker safety and health, pesticide/ herbicide exposure, and occupational hazards related to heat stress. 

Researchers affiliated with the center are currently conducting the following studies:  

Current Studies

  • Heat and Pesticide Stress in the Kidney

    Project Summary Agricultural workers provide the food we eat but often face a unique combination of occupational health hazards. Increasing incidence of unexplained chronic kidney disease in agricultural workers around the world, along with evidence from a recent Ag Health Study (AHS) in the U.S. directly linking kidney disease to exposure to specific pesticides, makes […]

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  • Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology in Florida by Repurposing a Statewide Data Infrastructure for Surveillance

    Project Summary Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is an emerging public health concern for agricultural workers in various regions within the subtropics and tropics. Recognition of this condition is growing among agricultural communities and has been described in regions found in Central America, Sri Lanka, India, Tunisia, and Taiwan. The pathologic mechanisms leading […]

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  • Effectiveness and Implementation of Self-Management for Horticulture Workers 

    Project Summary While low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent and potentially disabling, few intervention studies to mitigate LBP have been conducted in the labor-intensive agriculture sectors, and no evidence-based intervention studies exist specific to horticulture workers. In a preliminary study, horticulture workers in Florida reported a high incidence of opioid use attributed to work-related […]

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