284870
Preventing slips and falls through leisure-time physical activity: Findings from the limited-service restaurant study
Methods: Among 36 limited-service restaurants, 475 workers participated in a prospective cohort study from 2007-2008. Language-sensitive questionnaires documented the workers self-reported slips at the workplace, weekly work hours, LTPA and socio-demographic characteristics. The association between the rate of major slips (i.e., resulting in a fall or injury) and LTPA were assessed using a multivariable negative-binomial generalized linear model.
Results: During the 12-week surveillance period, over 54% of workers reported at least one slip incident of whom, 17% engaged in sedentary behavior (i.e., watching television, reading, or light-work), 40% in moderate (i.e., active, light-work about 2-4 hours/week) and 43% in energetic (i.e., physically active, >4 hours/week) LTPA. The rates of major slips among workers who engaged in moderate (Adjusted Rate Ratio=0.66; 95%CI=[0.18-2.46]) and vigorous (ARR=0.68; 95%CI=[0.19-2.39]) physical activity during their leisure-time were about 33% lower than the rate of major slips among inactive participants even while controlling for age, although confidence intervals for ARRs were not significant.
Conclusions: Engagement in LTPA among restaurant workers may be protective from risk of major slips.
Learning Areas:
EpidemiologyOccupational health and safety
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe how engagement in leisure-time physical activity is associated with slipping and falls at the same level among limited-service restaurant workers.
Discuss how worker socio-demographic characteristics and type of leisure-time physical activity influences’ risk of slipping.
Keyword(s): Epidemiology, Occupational Health
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I actively participated in the conceptualization of the research question, data analysis and write up of the paper. I am public health board certified epidemiologist.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.