Occupational injuries among workers with disabilities: the National Health Interview Survey, 1985-1994
C. Zwerling, P. S. Whitten, C. S. Davis and N. L. Sprince
Injury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242-5000, USA. craig-zwerling@uiowa.edu
CONTEXT: As the baby boom generation ages, more people will be working with
disabilities, but we have little information regarding how disabilities
affect risk for occupational injury. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that
work-limiting disabilities in general and hearing and visual impairments in
particular are risk factors for occupational injuries. DESIGN:
Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The National Health Interview Survey
(NHIS), 1985 to 1994. PARTICIPANTS: The 459827 participants in the NHIS
from 1985 to 1994 who listed "working" as their primary activity, who were
not farmers, and who were between 18 and 65 years of age. MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURE: Occupational injuries in the year preceding the interview causing
a residual impairment at the time of interview. RESULTS: After adjusting
for occupation, self-employment, and age, occupational injury was
associated with preceding work disability (odds ratio [OR], 1.36; 95%
confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.56); blindness (OR, 3.21; 95% CI,
1.32-7.85); deafness (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.17-4.12); hearing impairment
(OR,1.55; 95% CI, 1.29-1.87); upper extremity impairment (OR, 1.46; 95% CI,
1.05-2.05); and arthritis (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.07-1.68). Visual impairment
was not associated with a significantly increased risk (OR, 1.37; 95% CI,
0.87-2.17). CONCLUSIONS: Workers with disabilities, especially sensory
impairments, appear to have an elevated risk for occupational injury.
Further research in the design and evaluation of improved workplace
accommodations for workers with these disabilities is needed.
