2. Health Indicators among Young Adult Workers Alberto Caban-Martinez, MPH, CPH Presenting for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Occupational Research Group

3. Health Indictors & Youth Workers “Health risk” describes behaviors and health indicators with potentially negative effects on health (e.g. substance use, risky drinking, and eating disorders) Document major health indicators during a life stage – identifying and prevent deleterious health conditions. Youth who work may be at risk for negative health risks.

4. Few studies of large population-based US health studies of young adult workers. We examine the relationship between occupation type and major health indicators among a nationally representative sample of young adult workers. Objective

5. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) – NHIS years 1997 to 2004 – NHIS Cancer Supplement Year 2000 – Dietary Recall – Employed respondents 18-24 years old – Grouped into 13 major occupational groups – Self-reported data on health behaviors and conditions examined – Stratification by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity Methods

6. Health Indictors Examined: – Smoking – Risky drinking – Obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m 2 ) – Leisure-Time Physical Activity (LTPA) – Fruit consumption – French Fry Consumption Methods (Con’t)

7. For all employed workers: – Males highest drinking (10.2%), smoking (30.8%), and lowest levels of meeting US dietary guidelines on fruit consumption (91.3%) – Black Youth Workers had lowest LTPA (67.5%) and the greatest obesity levels (22.9%). Results

8. Occupation specific findings: – Transportation/material moving occupations reported greater risky drinking (13.5%), while those in protective service occupations reported the least risky drinking (3.7%) – Smoking rates were highest among precision production, craft, and repair workers (39.7%) but lowest among professional specialty workers (15.5%) – Youth workers employed as machine operators, assemblers, inspectors reported higher levels of not meeting LTPA guidelines (68.7%) as compared to protective service occupation workers (37.3%) Results (Cont)

9. Occupation specific findings: – Technicians and related support occupations met the criteria on US dietary guidelines for fruit consumption (85.4%) more frequently than those employed in transportation and material moving occupations (95.6%) – Hispanic Technicians and related occupations (85.4%) and Black Protective Youth Workers (91.2%) consume three or more servings of French fries per week!! Results (Cont)

10. We found the prevalence of health indicators among youth worker groups to parallel that of the US leading contributors to death Male and female protective service occupation youth workers and Hispanic technicians and related support occupations reported the highest rates of obesity and French fry consumption Conclusions

11. We found the prevalence of health indicators among youth worker groups to parallel that of the US leading contributors to death Worksites provide ready access to 65% of the population aged >18 years Variability in the measures of health indicators by occupation type Policies to reduce negative health indicators may require different targeted workplace strategies Conclusions

12. CONTACT INFORMATION: UM’s Occupational Research Group Alberto Caban-Martinez Email: acaban@med.miami.edu Phone: 305-243-7565