{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T17:05:50Z","timestamp":1784653550236,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784592000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Infect. Dis. Rep.","Infectious Disease Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Migrant agricultural workers in Italy often experience social and health vulnerabilities, including unstable housing and limited access to primary care. In Southern Italy, many live in informal settlements and seek care through outreach services. This study describes patterns of pharmacological treatment in this population and examines how they relate to the clinical conditions managed in mobile clinics. Methods: We analyzed routinely collected data from 2928 unique patients (8547 clinical encounters; 8965 treatment occurrences) managed by Doctors with Africa CUAMM mobile clinics in 12 informal settlements in Apulia, Italy, between 2017 and 2026. Diagnoses were grouped into clinical categories, and pharmacological treatments were classified by therapeutic class. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the distribution of diagnostic categories and associated treatments. Results: The population was predominantly male (96.5%), young (81% &lt;45 years), and largely excluded from regular primary care (93.5% without a General Practitioner). Musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue were the leading diagnostic category (34.0%), followed by gastrointestinal (13.5%) and respiratory conditions (13.0%). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics were the most frequently recorded treatments (32.6% of treatment occurrences). Among musculoskeletal presentations, NSAIDs were used in 76% of cases. Gastroprotective agents were documented in 52% of encounters with gastrointestinal symptoms. Among cardiovascular presentations, 87.7% of treatment occurrences involved chronic management with antihypertensives or beta-blockers. Conclusions: In this outreach setting, medication use provides a descriptive picture of common health problems and treatment responses among migrant agricultural workers living in informal settlements. The prominent use of symptomatic pharmacological relief, particularly NSAIDs in musculoskeletal conditions, suggests that care is often focused on managing pain and acute complaints in a population facing barriers to continuous primary care. These findings support the need for stronger inclusion of migrant workers in the National Health Service and for policies that address underlying social and structural determinants of health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/idr18040076","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T16:16:39Z","timestamp":1784650599000},"page":"76","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Medication Patterns as a Lens on Health Needs Among Migrant Agricultural Workers in Informal Settlements in Apulia: A Descriptive Outreach Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Cesare","family":"De Virgilio Suglia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renato","family":"Laforgia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcella","family":"Schiavone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2534-5753","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Belfiore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine \u201cA. Murri\u201d, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), Polyclinic Hospital, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giacomo","family":"Guido","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u2018A. Moro\u2019, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0103-6609","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rosa","family":"Buonamassa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alba","family":"Cuxart-Graell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), 08036 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martina","family":"Di Noto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valeria","family":"Mele","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emanuele","family":"Costanza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Venilia","family":"Cocco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-4992-6764","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandre","family":"Meduri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucia","family":"Raho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicole","family":"Laforgia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2386-8542","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberta","family":"Iatta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0256-1744","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Putoto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Operational Research Unit, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, 35121 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3453-5647","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Di Gennaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u2018A. Moro\u2019, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2018). Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants in the WHO European Region: No Public Health Without Refugees and Migrant Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"FLAI-CGIL (2024). VII Report \u201cAgromafie e Caporalato\u201d, Osservatorio Placido Rizzotto."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Sagnet, Y., and Palmisano, L.G. (2015). Ghetto Italia: I Braccianti Stranieri Tra Caporalato e Sfruttamento, Fandango."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Leogrande, A. (2008). Uomini e Caporali. 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