[Non-fatal work-related accidents in adolescents]

This community-based survey estimates the annual incidence of non-fatal work-related injuries in adolescents and describes their characteristics. Using a random area sampling design, 2,513 households were selected from the city of Salvador, capital of Bahia State, Northeast Brazil. The study population included 361 young people 10 to 20 years of age who answered individual questionnaires on socio-demographic, occupational, and health data. Annual incidence of non-fatal work-related injuries was 6.4%. Among females, most injuries were mild and were related to household chores; some 38.5% required medical care, and 36.4% caused permanent non-disabling lesions. Among males, work-related injuries took place mainly in public byways, and the majority (60.0%) were treated in emergency-care facilities. These results show that work-related injuries need to be considered in adolescent protection policies.