Occupational upper extremity conditions: a detailed analysis of work-related outcomes.

While work-related upper extremity conditions (WRUECs) cause almost 25% of lost time cases in the US, little is known about their long-term occupational consequences. A self-report survey was mailed to New Hampshire workers reporting a WRUEC one year prior to the study. Of the 72 (52%) valid respondents, 60% had lost > or = 1 week of work and 90% had returned to work. Almost 70% reported acute injury onset, and 26% had experienced a recurrence of their WRUEC. Both gradual-onset injuries and recurrences had worse outcomes. Recurrence was related to shorter job tenure, lower job satisfaction, and less satisfaction with medical care and insurer responses. Results imply that a single measure is insufficient to assess occupational outcomes subsequent to a WRUEC. The importance of secondary prevention was highlighted. There is a need for focus on gradual-onset injuries, as well as those acute-onset injuries with risk for recurrence.

Occupational risks and injuries in non-agricultural immigrant Latino workers.

BACKGROUND: To investigate occupational health in urban immigrant Latino workers, using a community-based method. METHODS: A survey was administered through consecutively selected door-to-door interviews. RESULTS: Response rate was 80% (n = 427). Average time in the US was 7.6 years, and average job tenure was 2.8 years. Twenty-five reported exposures to over 10 different hazards, and 18% thought these hazards had harmed their health. Only 31% received any job safety training; 55% had no workers' compensation coverage. Of the 47 (11%) with a work injury in the past 3 years, 27% reported difficulty obtaining treatment, 91% lost time from work (median = 13 days) and 29% had to change jobs because of the injury. The annual occupational injury rate was 12.2/100 full-time workers, compared to an expected rate of 7.1. CONCLUSIONS: Urban immigrant workers have increased risk of occupational injuries, with adverse outcomes.

Work-related outcomes in occupational low back pain: a multidimensional analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This pilot study explored a broad range of work-related outcomes for occupational low back injuries. METHODS: A model of occupational outcomes and a survey instrument were developed on the basis of interviews, expert opinion, and literature reviews. New Hampshire workers who had an occupational back injury a year before the study were sampled from first reports of injury and sent a mailed survey about their postinjury experiences and related factors. RESULTS: Of 251 randomly selected cases, a valid address could be identified for 121, and 99 patients responded. Almost 60% of the respondents had lost 1 week of work or more. At 1 year after injury, half of the respondents had returned to their preinjury job and employer, and 20% were unemployed, half of them because of the injury. Most working respondents reported no decrease in their work capacity. However, 68% still had pain exacerbated by work, and 47% worried that their condition would worsen with continued work. Reinjury occurred in 42% of the respondents. The work-related outcome measures were largely independent of each other. Exploratory multivariate analyses demonstrated unique patterns of factors associated with each outcome. Reinjury risk was significantly greater in respondents whose employers offered accommodations or whose postinjury jobs had greater ergonomic risk. The small sample size limited the ability to achieve statistically significant results in multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Simply measuring return to work did not appear to capture the full range of job-related consequences from occupational back injuries in this pilot evaluation. Timing of return to work, occupational ergonomic risks, and appropriate job modifications appeared to be particularly important in a safe return to the job after an occupational low back injury. Results suggest opportunities to address risk factors that may improve work outcomes.