Characteristics of nonfatal occupational injuries among U.S. workers with and without disabilities. Issue 2 (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shi, Junxin; Gardner, Stephen; Wheeler, Krista K.; Thompson, Meghan C.; Lu, Bo; Stallones, Lorann; Xiang, Huiyun
• Is Part Of: American journal of industrial medicine. Volume 58:Issue 2(2015:Feb.)
• Page Start: 168
• Page End: 177
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Médecine du travail -- Périodiques; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22395
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-3586

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="ajim22395-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Workers with disabilities have a higher risk of nonfatal occupational injuries than workers without disabilities. The characteristics of these injuries are not well described.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22395-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Using 1997–2011 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data, we compared the nonfatal occupational injuries sustained by U.S. workers with and without disabilities.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22395-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Overexertion or strenuous movements and falls accounted for 56.7% of all occupational injuries in workers with disabilities, compared with 45.6% in workers without a disability. Workers with disabilities were more frequently injured in the lower extremity (32.3% vs. 26.6%) or torso (22.9% vs. 16.9%). Workers with disabilities sustained more unspecified injuries (13.5% vs. 7.9%) and fewer open wound injuries (15.7% vs. 24.2%) than their counterparts without a disability.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22395-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>U.S. workers with disabilities had a higher rate of occupational injuries and these injuries tended to be more severe and were more likely to be caused by overexertion/ strenuous movement or falls. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:168–177, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</p> </sec> </abstract>