Risco de distúrbios psiquiátricos menores em área metropolitana na região Sudeste do Brasil Risk of minor psychiatric disorders in a metropolitan area of Southeastern Brazil

OBJETIVO: Descrever e analisar as características associadas ao risco de ocorrência de distúrbios psiquiátricos menores para a categoria de motoristas e cobradores de ônibus urbanos na cidade de São Paulo (Brasil), em 1990. METODOLOGIA: Estudou-se a prevalência dos distúrbios psiquiátricos menores (DPM) em uma amostra de 925 motoristas e cobradores, controlando e identificando as variáveis de confundimento existentes, através da análise de regressão logística, utilizando-se um modelo progressivo, passo a passo. RESULTADOS: Observou-se uma prevalência de DPM de 20,3% no conjunto dos dois grupos de trabalhadores, sendo significativamente maior entre os cobradores (28%) do que entre os motoristas (13%) (p OBJECTIVE: Its aim was to identify and analyse the prevalence and the risks associated with minor psycuiatric in disorders bus drivers and conductors in the city of S. Paulo, Brazil, in 1990. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The prevalence of minor psychiatric disorders was analysed in a random sample of 925. A logistic regression approach was used in the analysis which was implemented by means of a forward stepwise model technique. RESULTS: A prevalence of 20.3% was observed in the group as a whole, and a significant difference was found between conductors (28%) and drivers (13%) (p < 0.0001). The logistic regression analysis showed that the two major risk factors were heavy traffic (or = 1.99; confidence interval 95%=1.39-2.84) and the conductor's activity (or = 1.84; ci95% = 1.09-3.10). Other risk factors were sleep privation (less than six hours), absenteeism, seats without mechanisms of adjustment, internal migration and work schedule changes. CONCLUSION: The excess of risk for the occupational category of the conductor suggests the importance of the specific work condition as relevant for psychic suffering, leading to the consideration of the conductor-passenger relationship as possibly an important factor. Further studies for a better understanding of the work specific differences between drivers and conductors are necessary and may provide a basis for changes at the work organization level