ABSTRACT

Objectives: The goal of this project was to determine if a mobile application displaying pesticide label information in Spanish and English was a viable approach to addressing safety and health disparities for orchard workers. This study assessed pesticide label use patterns in orchards; application user experience; and the potential of modern information systems to deliver bilingual content.

Methods: Pesticide handlers and orchard managers were asked to use a mobile application prototype for a period of one month in 2016. A convenience sample of ten participants completed a 36-question interview to share their experiences. The research team summarized interview responses with summary statistics and grouped content analysis.

Results: Mean participant (n=10) age was 49. Eight were Latinx and spoke Spanish as their primary language. Six used the app frequently (15 times), one used it sometimes (6 – 10 times), and three used it rarely or occasionally (1 – 5 times). All participants viewed sections about product information and personal protective equipment. Most viewed information related to emergency and first aid, hazards, and storage and disposal. Overall user experience was positive, with an emphasis on the importance of access to label information in Spanish.

Conclusion: The overwhelming majority of the Pacific Northwest agricultural workforce is Spanish-speaking, despite critical pesticide safety information being provided on lengthy product label documents in technical English. This project demonstrated that the mobile application seems to be a viable approach to reducing language disparities and improving Latinx orchard worker safety.

摘要

目标：该项目的目标是确定以西班牙语和英语显示农药标签信息的移动应用程序是否是解决果园工人安全和健康差异的可行方法。该研究评估了果园中农药标签的使用模式；应用程序用户体验；以及现代信息系统提供双语内容的潜力。

方法： 2016 年，农药处理人员和果园经理被要求使用移动应用程序原型，为期一个月。十名参与者的便利样本完成了 36 个问题的访谈，以分享他们的经验。研究小组通过汇总统计和分组内容分析来总结访谈反应。

结果：平均参与者 (n=10) 年龄为 49 岁。八人是拉丁裔，以西班牙语为主要语言。6 人经常使用（15 次），1 人偶尔使用（6-10 次），3 人很少或偶尔使用（1-5 次）。所有参与者都查看了有关产品信息和个人防护设备的部分。与紧急情况和急救、危险以及储存和处置有关的大多数查看信息。总体用户体验是积极的，强调访问西班牙语标签信息的重要性。

结论：尽管在技术英语的冗长产品标签文件中提供了关键的农药安全信息，但太平洋西北地区的绝大多数农业劳动力都讲西班牙语。该项目表明，该移动应用程序似乎是减少语言差异和提高 Latinx 果园工人安全的可行方法。