Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals

Background: Seasonal migrant farmworkers (SMF) make up a significant part of Spain's agricultural labour force. Due to precarious labour conditions, housing insecurity and factors related to migration, SMF are at risk of specific health issues and occupational accidents. In addition, migrants i...

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Authors: van Selm, Lena, Perez-Urdiales, Iratxe, Úbeda Pavia, Miquel, Mateos, José Tomás, Jiménez-Lasserrotte, Maria Del Mar, Pastor-Bravo, María del Mar, Requena-Méndez, Ana, Briones Vozmediano, Erica Tula
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universitat de Lleida (UdL)
Repository:Repositori Obert UdL
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.udl.cat:10459.1/467840
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70147
https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/467840
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Agricultural workers' diseases
Farmers
Health services accessibility
Qualitative research
Spain
Transients and migrants
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spelling Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionalsvan Selm, LenaPerez-Urdiales, IratxeÚbeda Pavia, MiquelMateos, José TomásJiménez-Lasserrotte, Maria Del MarPastor-Bravo, María del MarRequena-Méndez, AnaBriones Vozmediano, Erica TulaAgricultural workers' diseasesFarmersHealth services accessibilityQualitative researchSpainTransients and migrantsBackground: Seasonal migrant farmworkers (SMF) make up a significant part of Spain's agricultural labour force. Due to precarious labour conditions, housing insecurity and factors related to migration, SMF are at risk of specific health issues and occupational accidents. In addition, migrants in Spain face barriers when accessing healthcare services. This study explores factors that influence the acceptability of healthcare services among SMF in Spain from the point of view of professionals working with this population. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 92 professionals working with SMF in four regions of Spain, including NGO workers, healthcare workers, employees of worker unions, public social services and governmental institutions. A thematic content analysis was performed using Atlas.ti. Results: Professionals identified several barriers and facilitators that influence the acceptability of healthcare services among SMF. The main identified barriers were language, different perceptions of health and healthcare between SMF and Spanish professionals, a limited understanding of the Spanish healthcare system, and precarious working and living conditions. The main identified facilitators were professionals taking time to explain healthcare procedures and rights to SMF and support and information from friends, family and other community members. Discussion and Conclusion: To overcome barriers, the use of translational services and cultural mediators should be increased. In addition, educational interventions are needed for migrants to better understand the Spanish healthcare system and for healthcare workers to provide culturally appropriate care to migrant patients. Finally, it needs to be considered that inequalities in health and healthcare between SMF and the Spanish native-born population reach beyond healthcare institutions. They are rooted in structural factors, which include their living and working conditions, social exclusion, and discrimination. Patient or Public Contribution: As this study, which is part of a bigger project, aimed to focus on healthcare access mainly from the healthcare system perspective, patients and service users were not involved in this part. Another sub-study within the project will focus on the experience of SMF. Caregivers were included as study participants and despite not having been directly included in the study design, the open-ended questions used in this study allowed them to bring up the topics they considered important in the context of this study.Wiley2025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttps://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70147https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/467840reponame:Repositori Obert UdL instname:Universitat de Lleida (UdL)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70147Health Expectations, 2025, vol. 28, núm. 1, e70147cc-by (c)The Authors, 2025Attribution 4.0 Internationalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/oai:repositori.udl.cat:10459.1/4678402026-06-24T12:42:17Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
title Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
spellingShingle Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
van Selm, Lena
Agricultural workers' diseases
Farmers
Health services accessibility
Qualitative research
Spain
Transients and migrants
title_short Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
title_full Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
title_fullStr Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
title_full_unstemmed Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
title_sort Migrant Farmworkers' Acceptability of Health Services in Spain: Barriers and Facilitators Identified by Professionals
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv van Selm, Lena
Perez-Urdiales, Iratxe
Úbeda Pavia, Miquel
Mateos, José Tomás
Jiménez-Lasserrotte, Maria Del Mar
Pastor-Bravo, María del Mar
Requena-Méndez, Ana
Briones Vozmediano, Erica Tula
author van Selm, Lena
author_facet van Selm, Lena
Perez-Urdiales, Iratxe
Úbeda Pavia, Miquel
Mateos, José Tomás
Jiménez-Lasserrotte, Maria Del Mar
Pastor-Bravo, María del Mar
Requena-Méndez, Ana
Briones Vozmediano, Erica Tula
author_role author
author2 Perez-Urdiales, Iratxe
Úbeda Pavia, Miquel
Mateos, José Tomás
Jiménez-Lasserrotte, Maria Del Mar
Pastor-Bravo, María del Mar
Requena-Méndez, Ana
Briones Vozmediano, Erica Tula
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Agricultural workers' diseases
Farmers
Health services accessibility
Qualitative research
Spain
Transients and migrants
topic Agricultural workers' diseases
Farmers
Health services accessibility
Qualitative research
Spain
Transients and migrants
description Background: Seasonal migrant farmworkers (SMF) make up a significant part of Spain's agricultural labour force. Due to precarious labour conditions, housing insecurity and factors related to migration, SMF are at risk of specific health issues and occupational accidents. In addition, migrants in Spain face barriers when accessing healthcare services. This study explores factors that influence the acceptability of healthcare services among SMF in Spain from the point of view of professionals working with this population. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 92 professionals working with SMF in four regions of Spain, including NGO workers, healthcare workers, employees of worker unions, public social services and governmental institutions. A thematic content analysis was performed using Atlas.ti. Results: Professionals identified several barriers and facilitators that influence the acceptability of healthcare services among SMF. The main identified barriers were language, different perceptions of health and healthcare between SMF and Spanish professionals, a limited understanding of the Spanish healthcare system, and precarious working and living conditions. The main identified facilitators were professionals taking time to explain healthcare procedures and rights to SMF and support and information from friends, family and other community members. Discussion and Conclusion: To overcome barriers, the use of translational services and cultural mediators should be increased. In addition, educational interventions are needed for migrants to better understand the Spanish healthcare system and for healthcare workers to provide culturally appropriate care to migrant patients. Finally, it needs to be considered that inequalities in health and healthcare between SMF and the Spanish native-born population reach beyond healthcare institutions. They are rooted in structural factors, which include their living and working conditions, social exclusion, and discrimination. Patient or Public Contribution: As this study, which is part of a bigger project, aimed to focus on healthcare access mainly from the healthcare system perspective, patients and service users were not involved in this part. Another sub-study within the project will focus on the experience of SMF. Caregivers were included as study participants and despite not having been directly included in the study design, the open-ended questions used in this study allowed them to bring up the topics they considered important in the context of this study.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70147
https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/467840
url https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70147
https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/467840
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70147
Health Expectations, 2025, vol. 28, núm. 1, e70147
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by (c)The Authors, 2025
Attribution 4.0 International
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by (c)The Authors, 2025
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositori Obert UdL
instname:Universitat de Lleida (UdL)
instname_str Universitat de Lleida (UdL)
reponame_str Repositori Obert UdL
collection Repositori Obert UdL
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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