Occupational risks and risk perception among Hispanic adolescents

Abstract

Although child labor laws are designed to protect youth from serious injury in the workplace, there are a number of other factors that influence the effectiveness of occupational injury prevention including adolescent risk perception, failure to understand worker rights, and lack of experience. The growing adolescent Hispanic population in the U.S. is of particular concern because cultural and economic barriers have the potential to further influence these young workers’ safety. A greater emphasis on research among Hispanic adolescents is crucial to minimizing adolescent worker injury. To propose effective age and culturally appropriate intervention programs, it will be necessary to understand the knowledge, attitude and beliefs regarding occupational risks within the working adolescent Hispanic community.