Labor in early life, vulnerability for health in Brazilian schoolchildren: National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE 2012).

Objective: This study describes exposure labor among Brazilian 9th grade students from public and private schools and investigates socio-demographic characteristics, behaviors, violent situations and psychosocial factors associated with labor among adolescents.

Methods: The present study included 108,984 students from the National Adolescent School-based Health Survey carried out in 2012. Variables were grouped into sociodemographic characteristics, behavioral factors, violent situations and psychosocial aspects. Associations between labor and several health risk variables were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for sex and age.

Results: Approximately 13% of the students reported having a job: 17.4% of them were male. The chance of working was lower between females and individuals whose fathers' have incomplete superior education. Students who worked had greater chances to smoke (OR = 2.26; 95%CI 2.04 - 2.51), drink alcohol, use illicit drugs (OR = 2.63; 95%CI 2.29 - 3.02), drive motorized vehicles (OR = 2.15; 95%CI 2.03 2.27), have sexual intercourse (OR = 2.10; 95%CI 1.99 - 2.24), suffer physical violence (OR = 1.57; 95%CI 1.46 1.68), engage in fights (OR = 1.65; 95%CI 1.55 - 1.76), feel lonely (OR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.17 - 1.36) and report sleeping problems (OR = 1.46; 95%CI 1.34 - 1.60). They also have lower chances of having close friends (OR = 0.78; 95%CI 0.68 - 0.90).

Conclusion: The prevalence of labor among students is high. Socioeconomical disadvantages increase the chances of early working. Early working is also associated to health damaging behavior, violent situations, sleeping problems, and social isolation. Adolescents who study and work experiment expositions that may affect distinct health dimensions and perpetuate disadvantages over lifetime.