Health risk behaviors and formal and informal work: National Health Survey 2013

Background:  Occupational characteristics can impact health.

Objective:  To analyze the association between formal and informal work, and health risk behaviors of Brazilian workers.

Method:  Cross-sectional study based on the National Health Survey 2013. The health risk behaviors investigated were: unhealthy food consumption (irregular consumption of fruits and vegetables, and beans; consumption of meat or chicken with excess fat; regular consumption of soft drinks/ artificial juice), insufficient leisure-time physical activity, current smoking and risky consumption of alcoholic beverages. Multiple logistic regression was performed, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics.

Results:  Informal workers had a higher chance of irregular consumption of beans, but also less chance of regular consumption of soft drinks/ artificial juices.

Conclusions:  Depending on the risk behavior evaluated, informal work presented a greater or lesser risk to health; therefore, it is not possible to state that informal work is associated with a greater risk to health. Actions to promote the health of workers must be independent of their situation in the labor market.

Keywords:
occupational groups; health risk behaviors; job market; occupational health