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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Janet Abboud Dal Santo, DrPH, Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina, 137 East Franklin Street, Suite 500, CB 7505, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7505, 919-966-2251, dalsanto@email.unc.edu, Carol W. Runyan, PhD, Injury Prevention Research Center and Dept. of Health Behavior and Health Education, Univ. of North Carolina, 137 East Franklin Street, Suite 500, Campus Box 7505, Chapel HIll, NC 27599-7505, MIchael Schulman, PhD, Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Box 8107, Rm 301, 1911 Building, Raleigh, NC 27695-8107, and J. Michael Bowling, PhD, Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440.

Background: Work permits are required for youth workers under 18 in 41 states but little is known about the demographic characteristics and work experiences of youth whose employers comply and see that they obtain work permits and those whose employers do not comply.

Methods: Data were obtained from a pilot survey (n=129) of working students in two high schools in North Carolina in spring 2005 and a full survey (n=790) in 16 high schools in fall 2005. For the pilot study 53% of working students who completed questionnaires had obtained work permits. Descriptive statistics for the pilot study and regression analyses for the full study compare the socio-demographic characteristics, job and workplace characteristics, teen safety training, and knowledge of child labor laws between teens with work permits and those without.

Results: Preliminary descriptive statistics from the pilot study suggest that a higher proportion of female, older teens, and those who did not work in family owned firms had obtained work permits as compared to younger, male teens or those who worked in family owned firms. A higher proportion of teens who had work permits knew about child labor laws (80%) and had safety training (66%) compared to teens without work permits. Findings of the full scale study will be presented.

Conclusions: Findings will have implications for educational interventions aimed at employers, parents and/or teens and for addressing the adequacy and enforcement of the work permit system.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to identify three similarities and differences between youth workers with and without work permits

Keywords: Workplace Safety,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 856.0 kb)