241582 Work-Related Injury Across Life Course: Populations at Risk

Monday, October 31, 2011

Diana Kachan, BS , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
David J. Lee, PhD , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Lora E. Fleming, MD, PhD , European Centre for Environment and Human Health (PCMD) and Univesity of Miami OHH Center and NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
William G. LeBlanc, PhD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
Kristopher L. Arheart, EdD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, PhD, DO, MPH, CPH , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
Tainya C. Clarke, MPH, MS , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Manuel Ocasio, BA , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Julie Hollenbeck, MA , OHHC / NIOSH Occupational Research Group, University of Miami, Key Biscayne, FL
Elizabeth Goodman, MD , Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
Sharon L. Christ, PhD , Purdue University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, West Lafayette, IN
Peter Muennig, MD, MPH , Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University, New York, NY
Objective: Work-related injuries comprise one-third of all injuries and can have a substantial economic impact. Rates and nature of work-related injuries at extremes of work-life differ from those of middle-age group, yet occupations at highest risk within each age group have not been identified. We examined work-related injury risk across industry sectors for three age groups using nationally-representative US data. Methods: Data from 1997-2009 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were pooled for all workers (n=168,871) and by three age groups: 18-25 (n=22,300), 26-54 (n=121,703), and 55+ (n=24,868). Workplace injury prevalence rate comparisons across National Occupational Research Agenda industry sectors were made using logistic regression with the Services sector as the referent and adjustment for sample design, gender, education, race/ethnicity, age, and poverty-to-income ratio. Results: The overall injury prevalence was 0.90%. Overall, highest risk sectors were Construction (Odds Ratio=2.39;[95% Confidence Interval 1.94-2.94]), Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries (2.24;[1.52-3.29]), and Transportation/Communication/Other Public Utilities (1.73;[1.37-2.18]). Highest risk sectors for workers aged 18-25 were Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries (4.32;[ 2.03-9.17]), Construction (2.75;[1.62-4.66]), Transportation/Communication/Other Public Utilities (2.68;[1.37-5.24]); for workers 25-54: Construction (2.35;[1.86-2.97], Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries (1.66;[1.04-2.65]), and Wholesale Trade/Retail (1.56;[1.27-1.92]); for workers 55+: Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries (3.31;[1.29-8.55]), Transportation/Communication/Other Public Utilities (2.41;[1.32-4.41]), and Manufacturing ([1.92;[1.19-3.10]). Conclusions: Highest risk sectors were the same in the two younger age groups but differed somewhat in the older age group. Injury risk for workers in Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries was uniformly high across all age groups, indicating the need for more effective injury prevention programs in this sector as well as some evidence for age-specific interventions in select high-risk sectors.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1.Describe differences in work-related injury risks across different age group of US workers. 2.Identify worker groups at the highest risk for occupational injury within each age group. 3.Discuss the relationship between worker age group characteristics and their risk for occupational injury.

Keywords: Occupational Injury and Death, Aging

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a student being mentored by a group of occupational epidemiologists.
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.

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