The economic returns from investments in physical and mental health: a case study of migrant farmworkers in rural New York.

Spiraling costs of medical care services and limited federal and state resources necessitate discriminating and cost-effective strategies for financing health care to indigent populations. Thus, while the selection among intervention strategies is aided by information on both the cost and benefits of program alternatives, data on the latter aspect is more difficult to obtain. Human capital research provides a mechanism for assessing one of the multifarious aspects of the benefits of medical services. Research suggests that labor market earnings opportunities are affected by health status. The present study explores this relationship for migrant farmworkers in a vegetable production county (Orange County) in upstate New York. Multivariate analysis indicated that mental well-being was an important predictor of earnings for migrant farmworkers. Directions for public health policy intervention strategies are also discussed.