Health of Family Members of Road Transport Workers: Evaluation of Perceived Stress and Family Effectiveness

The health of road transport workers is affected by working conditions and life. However, there is a lack of studies on the level of stress and health of the families of these workers. This study aimed to evaluate the perceived stress level and family effectiveness of family members of road transport workers. A quantitative study was carried out with the family members of road transport workers in the southern region of Brazil. For data collection, a sociodemographic form, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Evaluation of Family Effectiveness Strategies were used. The data were analyzed by simple frequency, Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) (p < 0.05), and descriptive analysis from the perspective of Systemic Organization. The sample was composed of 49 family members of road transport workers. Perceived stress was higher in family members who had more than nine years of education (p = 0.0403). Family members who scored higher in Family Effectiveness scored high on the targets of Control (p = 0.0353) (Control aims to reduce anxiety and prevent and eliminate events that threaten family stability) and Growth (p = 0.0360) (represented by attitudes that promote new roles in response to critical situations experienced by families, which require re-adaptation processes and adjustments). The Control target was significant (p = 0.0353) in families that had more than three people. The Coherence dimension (concerning self-esteem, body image, personal identity, self-confidence, and sexual identity) presented positive significance (p = 0.0244) in families with health problems and whose income was less than USD 792.00 per month (p = 0.0072). The Individuation dimension (including functions and responsibilities, where talents are reinforced, as well as initiatives that allow for the incorporation of knowledge to assume behaviors against personal/family and environmental pressures), was significant (p = 0.0138) in families with incomes over USD 792.00. The Maintenance System (strategies for decision-making, problem negotiation, ritual and traditional roles, communication patterns, standards, financial management, and approaches to maintaining family harmony) presented positive significance (p = 0.0151) in families where drivers worked as intercity drivers, as did the Stability target (p = 0.0196) (concerning the continuity of routines, structure, organization, traditions, and values assumed by the family and transmitted from generation to generation, which promote unity and the development of values, attitudes, and beliefs). In conclusion, social factors, such as education, income, diseases, type of worker activity in road transport, and number of people in the family, influenced perceived stress and family effectiveness, which demonstrates the need to increase the promotion of health care for the families of road transport workers.

Family and Social Variables Associated with Family Health

The current study examined the interrelationships among potentially relevant family and social factors associated with family health. A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting demographic information from 432 families, including family typology, family life cycle (FLC), and social status as well as social support and stressful life events (SLEs), with self-perception of family health being measured as a dependent variable. Descriptive analysis of the sample and univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Multivariate analyses showed that the FLC stage of families as launching centers, lower educational level of household heads, and impact of SLEs were negatively associated with family health, whereas adequate perceived social support and the number of close friends and relatives were positively associated with family health. Therefore, these factors must be considered by family nurses to promote family health and prevent family dysfunction.

[Association of family typology and dysfunction in families with adolescents from a Mexican population]

Objetivo

Determinar la asociación entre tipología y disfuncionalidad familiar en familias mexicanas con adolescentes.

Diseño

Estudio observacional de tipo transversal.

Emplazamiento y participantes

Cuatrocientas treinta y siete familias con adolescentes inscritos en una escuela secundaria pública de una población mexicana.

Mediciones principales

Determinación de la tipología familiar (Consejo y Consenso Mexicano de Medicina Familiar) y la funcionalidad familiar (APGAR familiar) en adolescentes y sus padres/tutores. Identificación de las familias con percepciones concordantes entre miembros (kappa de Cohen), en las cuales se determinó la asociación entre tipología y percepción de disfuncionalidad familiar (odds ratio [OR]).

Resultados

Los tipos de familias están asociados con la funcionalidad familiar por parentesco, presencia física en el hogar y el nivel de pobreza familiar. Desde la percepción del adolescente, se asocian los tipos: nuclear simple (OR 0,5, IC 95% 0,3-0,8), monoparental extendida (OR 1,9, IC 95% 1,03-3,5), núcleo integrado (OR 0,6, IC 95% 0,4-0,9), pobreza familiar baja (OR 0,5, IC 95% 0,3-0,8) y pobreza familiar alta (OR 5,3, IC 95% 1,5-18,6). Desde la percepción del tutor: la monoparental (OR 1,9, IC 95% 1,09-3,4) y de pobreza familiar alta (OR 2 9, IC 95% 1,1-7,7). Hubo 259 familias con percepción concordante de funcionalidad/disfuncionalidad familiar con un κ = 0,189, determinando que los tipos asociados son: la nuclear simple (OR 0,4, IC 95% 0,2-0,7), monoparental (OR 1,7, IC 95% 0,80-3,8), núcleo integrado (OR 0,5, IC 95% 0,3-0,8), núcleo no integrado (OR 1,9, IC 95% 1,09-3,5) y pobreza familiar alta (OR 13,8, IC 95% 1,7-108,5).

Conclusión

Los tipos de familia con adolescentes asociadas con disfuncionalidad familiar son las monoparentales, las de núcleo no integrado y aquellas con pobreza familiar alta, y como factores de protección, la nuclear simple y con núcleo integrado.