%0 Journal Article %J Am J Public Health %D 1998 %T Occupational injuries among older workers with disabilities: a prospective cohort study of the Health and Retirement Survey, 1992 to 1994. %A Zwerling, Craig %A Nancy L. Sprince %A Charles S. Davis %A Paul S. Whitten %A Robert B Wallace %A Steven G Heeringa %K Accidents, Occupational %K Age Distribution %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Analysis of Variance %K Cross-Sectional Studies %K Disabled Persons %K Female %K Health Surveys %K Humans %K Logistic Models %K Male %K Middle Aged %K Odds Ratio %K Prospective Studies %K Retirement %K Risk Factors %K United States %X

OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that among older workers, disabilities in general, and hearing and visual impairments in particular, are risk factors for occupational injuries.

METHODS: Using the first 2 interviews of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of Americans aged 51 to 61 years, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 5600 employed nonfarmers.

RESULTS: Testing a logistic regression model developed in a previous cross-sectional study, we found that the following occupations and risk factors were associated with occupational injury as estimated by odds ratios: service personnel, odds ratio = 1.71 (95% confidence interval = 1.13, 2.57); mechanics and repairers, 3.47 (1.98, 6.10); operators and assemblers, 2.33 (1.51, 3.61); laborers, 3.16 (1.67, 5.98); jobs requiring heavy lifting, 2.05 (1.55, 2.70); self-employment, 0.50 (0.34, 0.73); and self-reported disability, 1.58 (1.14, 2.19). Replacing the general disability variable with specific hearing and visual impairment variables, we found that poor hearing (1.35 [0.95, 1.93]) and poor sight (1.45 [0.94, 2.22]) both had elevated odds ratios.

CONCLUSIONS: Poor sight and poor hearing, as well as work disabilities in general, are associated with occupational injuries among older workers.

%B Am J Public Health %I 88 %V 88 %P 1691-5 %8 1998 Nov %G eng %U https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9807538/ %N 11 %L pubs_1998_Zwerling_CAJPH.pdf %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9807538?dopt=Abstract %4 Labor/Occupational Injury/Health Status/Basic Demographics/Health Behaviors/Risk Factors/Disability/Disability %$ 8152 %R 10.2105/ajph.88.11.1691