The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #45330

Gary S. Sorock, PhD¹, David A. Lombardi, PhD¹, Russ B. Hauser, MD, ScD², Ellen E. Eisen, ScD³, Robert Herrick, SD², and Murray A. Mittleman, MD, DrPH⁴. (1) Epidemiology Unit, Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety & Health, 71 Frankland Road, Hopkinton, MA 01748, (508) 435-9061, gary.sorock@libertymutual.com, (2) Occupational Health Program, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, (3) Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854, (4) Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

Workers with hand injuries account for over 1,000,000 annual Emergency Department visits in the U.S. However, little is known about risk factors for acute occupational hand injury. We therefore conducted a case-crossover study of transient and potentially modifiable risk factors for hand injury. Subjects were recruited from 23 occupational health clinics in New England. In a telephone interview, subjects were asked to report the time of their last exposure within a 90-minute period before the injury. Each case provided control exposure information during the time period one month prior to the injury. A total of 1,166 subjects (891 men, 275 women), mean age (SD) of 37.2 years (11.4) were interviewed. Most subjects (63%) had a laceration. The relative risk of a hand injury when exposed to each risk factor at the time of the injury compared with being unexposed is shown in the table.

The results indicate that the risk of a hand injury is particularly high when using unusual- performing equipment/materials, or when doing a task using a different work method than normal. Wearing gloves reduced the risk by 60%. The results suggest the importance of these transient, modifiable risk and preventive factors in the etiology of acute hand injury at work.

Learning Objectives: After the session, the participant should be able to

• describe the magnitude of occupational hand injuries in the U.S.;
• identify transient risk factors for hand injuries; and
• recognize the strengths and limitations of the case-crossover design for studying occupational injury

Keywords: Epidemiology, Injury Risk

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.