Association of child labor with risk and protective factors for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases in Brazilian schoolchildren: National School Health Survey 2015.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the sociodemographic profile of adolescents working in Brazil and the association of child labor with risk and protection factors for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with data from sample 2 of the 2015 National School Health Survey (PeNSE). The variables gender, age, ethnicity/skin color, administrative dependence on school and maternal education, eating habits, physical activity and drug use were analyzed by prevalence and respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and calculation of crude and adjusted Odds Ratio.

RESULTS

A total of 10,926 students participated in the survey, of which 16.9% (95%CI 15.1-18.9) were currently working/employed. Child labor was higher among male adolescents (ORa: 1.82; 95%CI 1.55-2.15); aged between 16 and 17 years (ORa: 2.96; 95%CI 2.37-3.69); enrolled in public schools (ORa: 1.69; 95%CI 1.14-2.52); whose mothers had incomplete high school (ORa: 1.54; 95%CI 1.11-2.13); living in the South region of the country (ORa: 2.17; 95%CI 1.60-2.94). Adolescents who worked were more likely to smoke (ORa: 1.94; 95%CI 1.52-2.48); use alcohol (ORa: 2.01; 95%CI 1.71-2.36) and drugs (ORa: 1.76; 95%CI 1.35-2.31); perform physical activity (ORa: 1.24; 95%CI 1.07-1.44); consume sweets (ORa: 1.30; 95%CI 1.13-1.49), fried snacks (ORa: 1.41; 95%CI 1.15-1.74), and soft drinks (ORa: 1.23; 95%CI 1.06-1.44); however, they were less likely to present sedentary behavior (ORa: 0.68; 95%CI 0.59-0.79).

CONCLUSION

Child labor in Brazil is related to sociodemographic differences. Those who worked were more likely to show risk behaviors for NCDs, but they were more physically active.