246109 Healthy communication between parents and working teens and its influence on work-related injury

Monday, October 31, 2011: 1:00 PM

Erin Welsh, BS , Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Louisville, Lousiville, KY
Teresa McGeeney, BA , Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Louisville - School of Public Health and Information Sciences, Louisville, KY
Kristina Zierold, PhD, MS , Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, Louisville, KY
     
Background: In the US, 70-80% of teens work. As the fourth leading cause of death in youth ages 10-19, work-related injuries are an important preventable cause of death and disability in teens. This study investigated the influence of parental communication on the risk of work-related injury in teens. Methods: Data was obtained from teenagers in public high schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky, using qualitative and quantitative methods. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 42 teens in April-May of 2010. In January-February of 2011 a survey of all teens in the schools was conducted. Results: Preliminary results from qualitative data with 42 teens suggest that teens commonly discuss their work with their parents. These data have shown mixed results regarding the influence and effect of parental communication and contact in preventing work-related injuries. Analysis of recently collected quantitative data from over 3,000 teens will help to further elucidate whether communication and contact between parents and teens help to prevent injuries. Discussion: The relationship between level of parental communication and work-related injury in teenagers has yet to be defined. The extent to which a child and parent communicate about work, especially in regards to dangerous tasks, injuries at work, and child labor laws could have a great influence on the attitude of the working child towards safety at work. Maximizing communication between working teens and their parents may have positive influence on the safety behaviors of teens both at work and outside of work.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Occupational health and safety
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how much daily contact and communication occurs between working teenagers and their parents, and assess differences based on teen’s age, race and gender. 2. Evaluate the extent to which working teenagers discuss their work with their parents focusing on differences among teens’ ages, genders, and races. 3. Assess the relationship between work-related injury in working teens and contact and communication with parents.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Communication Effects

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I am involved in multiple aspects of this research project, including collecting the data, analyzing the data, and interpreting the findings.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Parent and Peer Influence on Youth Health Behavior (HCWG)
See more of: Public Health Education and Health Promotion