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Worker populations at risk for work‐related injuries across the life course
Author(s) -
Kachan Diana,
Fleming Lora E.,
LeBlanc William G.,
Goodman Elizabeth,
Arheart Kristopher L.,
CabanMartinez Alberto J.,
Clarke Tainya C.,
Ocasio Manuel A.,
Christ Sharon,
Lee David J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.21994
Subject(s) - medicine , life course approach , occupational safety and health , environmental health , gerontology , pathology , psychology , social psychology
Background Workplace injuries can have a substantial economic impact. Rates of workplace injuries differ across age groups, yet occupations/industry sectors at highest risk within age groups have not been identified. We examined workplace injury risk across industry sectors for three age groups using nationally representative U.S. data. Methods Data from 1997 to 2009 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were pooled for employed adults by age groups: (1) 18–25 (n = 22,261); (2) 26–54 (n = 121,559); and (3) 55+ (n = 24,851). Workplace injury risk comparisons were made using logistic regression, with the Services sector as the referent and adjustment for sample design, gender, education, race/ethnicity, age, and income‐to‐poverty ratio. Results Overall 3‐month injury prevalence was 0.88%. Highest risk sectors for workers aged 18–25 included: Agriculture/forestry/fisheries (odds ratio = 4.80; 95% confidence interval 2.23–10.32), Healthcare/social assistance (2.71; 1.50–4.91), Construction (2.66; 1.56–4.53), Manufacturing (2.66; 1.54–4.61); for workers 26–54: Construction (2.30; 1.76–3.0), Agriculture/forestry/fisheries (1.91; 1.16–3.15), and Manufacturing (1.58; 1.28–1.96); for workers 55+: Agriculture/forestry/fisheries (3.01; 1.16–7.81), Transportation/communication/other public utilities (2.55; 1.44–4.49), and Construction (2.25; 1.09–4.67). Conclusions Agriculture/forestry/fisheries and Construction were among the sectors with highest workplace injury risk for workers across all age groups. Differences in highest risk industries were identified between the youngest and oldest industry groups. Our results indicate a need for age‐specific interventions in some industries, and a need for more comprehensive measures in others. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:361–366, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.