The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #57757

Jim Cone, MD, MPH, Environmental and Occupational Disease Epidemiology, Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene New York City, 253 Broadway, Room 602, CN 34-C, New York, NY 10007, 212-676-29444, jcone@igc.org

Background: Local population-based estimates of the incidence of occupational injury are rare in the U.S. An opportunity to address this gap occurred when New York City conducted a comprehensive health survey of 9674 randomly-selected residents from May – June 2002, designed to provide neighborhood-specific data. Methods: The target population was non-institutionalized adults age 18 and over with telephones. To assess the incidence of occupational injuries, the survey asked respondents, “In the past 12 months, have you had any on-the-job injuries that required medical attention other than simple first aid?” Results: Overall, 5.1% reported an on-the-job injury. The highest incidence was among 18-44 year-olds (5.5%) while 45-64 year-olds reported the lowest incidence (4.0%). Men reported a higher incidence (5.3%) compared with women (4.8%). Hispanic workers reported the highest incidence (7.3%), followed by Asian (5.3%), African-American (4.9%), White (4.2%). Workers whose country of origin was the Caribbean had the highest incidence (7.2%), followed by East Asians (6.1%). Staten Island reported the highest incidence (5.8%), followed by the Bronx (5.6%), Queens (5.39%), Brooklyn (5.43%) and Manhattan (3.78%). Of New York City neighborhoods, East Harlem had the highest incidence (12.0%). Outdoor workers had a higher incidence (6.7%) compared with indoor workers (4.6%). Discussion: The incidence of on-the-job injuries among New York City workers (5.1%) is similar to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data (5.4%). These data will facilitate targeting of occupational injury prevention efforts to groups with the highest reported incidence, including Hispanic workers, workers from the Caribbean, and workers in the Northeastern Bronx.

Learning Objectives:

• To learn about the incidence of occupational injury in New York City, by age group, gender, country of origin, and neighborhood.
• To identify opportunities for targeting interventions designed to prevention occupational injuries in a diverse urban environment.

Keywords: Occupational Injury and Death, Injury

Related Web page: www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/survey/survey02.html

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.