Adolescent labor and health vulnerability: Brazilian Survey on High School Health (PeNSE 2012)

INTRODUCTION: Child and adolescent labor is a worldwide problem that affects most developing countries. Childhood and adolescence are critical periods in human development, and experiences during these periods have long lasting effects on health and well-being throughout life. This study describes labor exposure among Brazilian high school teenagers and investigates socio-demographic characteristics, behaviors, violent situations and psychosocial factors associated with labor among adolescents.

METHODS: The present study included 61,091 students from the National Survey on Health School carried out in 2012. The outcome variables were grouped into  behavioral factors (smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, drive motorized vehicle, sexual intercourse, leisure physical activity,), violent situations (physical assault, engage in fights) and psychosocial aspects (feel alone, sleeping problems, report close friends). Associations between labor and several health risk variables were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for sex and age.

RESULTS: Approximately 12% of the students reported having a job: 15.6% of them were male. Female sex and increasing fathers’ schooling reduced the chance of labor while increasing age and study in public school increased the chance of work. Students who worked had greater chances to be a smoker (OR:2.41;CI:2.05-2.84), drink alcohol, use illicit drugs (OR:2.30;CI:1.89-2.79), drive motorized vehicle (OR:2.38;CI:2.17-2.61); have sexual intercourse (OR:2.26;CI:1.89-2.79), suffer physical assault (OR:1.60;CI:1.39-1.84), engage in fights (OR:1.64; CI:1.49-1.81), feel lonely (OR:1.29;CI:1.14-1.47), report sleeping problems (OR:1.55; CI:1.35-1.76). They also have lower chance of having close friends (OR:0.62;CI:0.47-0.82).

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of labor among high school students is high. Socio-economical disadvantages increase the chances of early working. Early working is associated to heath damaging behavior, violent situations, sleeping issues, and social isolation. Adolescents who study and work experiment expositions that may affect distinct health dimensions and  perpetuate disadvantages over lifetime.