Abstract

The 2010-2011 Québec Health Survey of High School Students (QHSHSS) reports that approximately two in five high school students (43%) held a job at the time the data was gathered. A non-negligible proportion of these young people, 14%, spent 16 hours or more per week working, a level that has been associated with health risks.

To understand the factors leading to early entry into the labour market, the scientific literature stresses the importance of taking into account the sociodemographic and familial characteristics of youth, and the various aspects related to affective, behavioural and academic development, through trajectory analyses based on longitudinal data. The Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, holds a wealth of data collected over a 15 year period, the analysis of which could help identify the factors leading to early labour force entry and the associated occupational health and safety impacts on 15-year-old workers.

For this project, we aim to perform such an analysis in order to better understand the employment paths of youth in terms of injuries and other eventual work-related health problems.

The results will make it possible to better target preventive activities for this age group.