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Howe AS, Tan J, Yuen B, Saini H, Saade-Cleves N, Obeidat D, Shahzad M, Chattu VK, Fatemi AB, Nowrouzi-Kia B. Physical and Psychosocial Correlates of Occupational Physical Injury in the Global Construction Industry: A Scoping Review. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2024; 18:11786302241270371. [PMID: 39188508 PMCID: PMC11345736 DOI: 10.1177/11786302241270371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Purpose The construction industry is a diverse sector with exposure to multiple psychosocial and environmental workplace hazards that increase the risk of injury. This scoping review aims to consolidate the existing literature on the physical and psychosocial determinants influencing the risk of occupational physical injuries among construction workers globally. Methods A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension checklist guided. Literature searches were performed between June and October 2023 in electronic academic databases. Results A total of 77 studies were identified, encompassing various geographical regions, including North America (n = 29), Africa (n = 18), Europe (n = 12), Asia (n = 9), the Middle East (n = 5), and Oceania (n = 4). The review identified physical and psychosocial factors in 3 domains influencing occupational physical injuries: workplace physical environment (eg, exposure to physical hazards, availability and utilization of personal protective equipment, company size, and job type), workplace culture (eg, psychosocial stressors, gender-related barriers, migrant and ethnic disparities, educational background), and physical wellbeing, health and aging (eg, age, obesity, sleep quality, marital stats, and physical health status). Notably, workers from social minority groups (eg, women, ethnic and migrant workers) of young (<25 years old) or older ages (45-55 years old) employed in smaller construction companies are vulnerable to increased injury risk and exposure to physical and psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Conclusion The review emphasizes a global paucity of research examining the implications of physical and psychosocial factors on injury risk within the construction industry. Future research should prioritize investigating the impact of psychosocial hazards on younger and older workers to detect age-related differences in injury rate, treatment access, and work-related health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron S Howe
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeremy Tan
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beatrice Yuen
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Harseerat Saini
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natalia Saade-Cleves
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donia Obeidat
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Maryam Shahzad
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vijay Kumar Chattu
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha, India
| | - Ali-Bani Fatemi
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia
- Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Kaur H, Wurzelbacher SJ, Bushnell PT, Bertke S, Meyers AR, Grosch JW, Naber SJ, Lampl M. Occupational Injuries Among Construction Workers by Age and Related Economic Loss: Findings From Ohio Workers' Compensation, USA: 2007-2017. Saf Health Work 2023; 14:406-414. [PMID: 38187211 PMCID: PMC10770107 DOI: 10.1016/j.shaw.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background This study examined age-group differences in the rate, severity, and cost of injuries among construction workers to support evidence-based worker safety and health interventions in the construction industry. Methods Ohio workers' compensation claims for construction workers were used to estimate claim rates and costs by age group. We analyzed claims data auto-coded into five event/exposure categories: transportation incidents; slips, trips, and falls (STFs); exposure to harmful substances and environments; contact with objects and equipment (COB); overexertion and bodily reaction. American Community Survey data were used to determine the percentage of workers in each age group. Results From 2007-2017, among 72,416 accepted injury claims for ∼166,000 construction full-time equivalent (FTE) per year, nearly half were caused by COB, followed by STFs (20%) and overexertion (20%). Claim rates related to COB and exposure to harmful substances and environments were highest among those 18-24 years old, with claim rates of 313.5 and 25.9 per 10,000 FTE, respectively. STFs increased with age, with the highest claim rates for those 55-64 years old (94.2 claims per 10,000 FTE). Overexertion claim rates increased and then declined with age, with the highest claim rate for those 35-44 years old (87.3 per 10,000 FTE). While younger workers had higher injury rates, older workers had higher proportions of lost-time claims and higher costs per claim. The total cost per FTE was highest for those 45-54 years old ($1,122 per FTE). Conclusion The variation in rates of injury types by age suggests that age-specific prevention strategies may be useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harpriya Kaur
- Division of Science Integration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Steven J. Wurzelbacher
- Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - P. Tim Bushnell
- Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Stephen Bertke
- Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Alysha R. Meyers
- Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James W. Grosch
- Division of Science Integration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Michael Lampl
- Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Columbus, OH, USA
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Jung S, Kim TK, Kim YJ, Kim YK, Kang D, Kim SY. Epidemiology of occupational injuries in construction workers between 2009 and 2018 in South Korea. Am J Ind Med 2023; 66:155-166. [PMID: 36433706 PMCID: PMC10100143 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of occupational injuries based on fatality, sex, and classification of occupations among construction workers using workers' compensation (WC) insurance data in South Korea. METHODS We collected WC insurance data from the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service for all construction workers between 2009 and 2018. Data from 158,947 accepted claims for occupational injury were extracted, and the demographic features, occupational injury types, and annual trends were analyzed for fatal and nonfatal cases. The annual incidence and mortality trends of occupational injury were estimated using negative binomial regression and Poisson regression models, for injury incidence and mortality respectively. RESULTS Among a total of 158,947 occupational injury cases, there were 155,772 (98%) nonfatal injuries and 3175 (2%) fatal injuries. For all occupational injuries, Construction Elementary Workers (6th Korean Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO) 910; 45.7%) was the most frequent occupation, followed by Construction-Related Technical Workers (6th KSCO 772; 39.2%). The most frequent injury type was a fracture, followed by ruptures or lacerations and contusions. The incidence of all occupational injuries increased from 700.36 per 100,000 persons in 2009 to 1,195.98 per 100,000 persons in 2018. Further, deaths from injuries at work followed a significantly increasing annual trend [mortality rate ratio 1.04 (95% CI: 1.03-1.05)] from 2009 to 2018. CONCLUSION The over two-thirds increased incidence of occupational injuries and significantly increasing mortality trends for occupational injuries during the last 10 years indicate the need for aggressive intervention in occupational safety and health management within the Korean construction industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saemi Jung
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Kyoung Kim
- Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Ji Kim
- Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Ki Kim
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongmug Kang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Yeong Kim
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
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Meza E, Giglio L, Franco AO, Rodriguez E, Stock L, Balmes J, Torres JM, Fernandez A. Worker Perspectives on COVID-19 Risks: A Qualitative Study of Latino Construction Workers in Oakland, California. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19169822. [PMID: 36011454 PMCID: PMC9408167 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19169822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Latino construction workers in the U.S. have faced a disproportionate risk for COVID-19 infection in the workplace. Prior studies have focused on quantifying workplace risk for COVID-19 infection; few have captured workers' experiences and perspectives. This study describes COVID-19-related workplace risks from the perspectives of Latino construction workers. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured phone interviews with Latino construction workers from the Fruitvale District of Oakland, California. Twenty individuals were interviewed from December 2020 to March 2021. Nearly all participants (19/20) were Spanish-speaking men; mean age 42.6 years. The majority were low-income and over one-third did not have health insurance. Participants worked in varied construction-related jobs ranging from demolition to office work; additionally, four were day laborers, and three belonged to a labor union. We identified four major themes with public health policy and workplace safety implications: (1) Major concern about the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection for family health and economic wellbeing; (2) Clarity about mask use and social distancing but not disclosure; (3) Variability in access to additional resources provided by employers; and (4) Uncertainty around structural support for SARS-CoV-2 quarantine/isolation. Our findings provide further evidence from workers' own perspectives of the major gaps experienced during the pandemic in workplace protections and resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Meza
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Leslie Giglio
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
| | - Ana O. Franco
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elizabeth Rodriguez
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Laura Stock
- Labor Occupational Health Program, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - John Balmes
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
| | - Jacqueline M. Torres
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alicia Fernandez
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
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5
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Altman CE, Bachmeier JD, Spence C, Hamilton C. Sick Days: Logical Versus Survey Identification of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/01979183221084333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The self-reported number of workdays missed due to injury or illness, or sick days, is a reliable measure of health among working-aged adults. Although sick days is a relatively underexplored health-related outcome in migration studies, it can provide a multidimensional understanding of immigrant wellbeing and integration. Current understandings of the association between migration status and sick days are limited for two reasons. First, in the United States, few nationally representative surveys collect migration status information. Second, researchers lack consensus on the most reliable approach for assigning migration status. We use the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine sick days and draw comparisons between two methods for assigning migration status—a logical approach and a survey approach. The logical method assigns migration status to foreign-born respondents based on characteristics such as government employment or welfare receipt, while the survey approach relies on self-reported survey responses. Sick days among immigrants was correlated with and predicted by other health conditions available in the SIPP. Comparisons of sick days by migration status vary based on migration assignment approach. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) reported more sick days than non-LPRs and appear less healthy when migration status is assigned using the logical approach. The logical approach also produced a gap in sick days between LPRs and non-LPRs that is not replicated in the survey approach. The results demonstrate that if migration status is not measured directly in the data, interpretation of migration status effects should proceed cautiously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. Altman
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - James D. Bachmeier
- Department of Sociology, Temple University, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cody Spence
- Department of Sociology, Temple University, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christal Hamilton
- Center on Poverty and Social Policy, Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, USA
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6
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Richey MM, Golightly Y, Marshall SW, Novicoff W, Keil AP, Nocera M, Richardson DB. Trends in fatal occupational injuries in Latino/a workers relative to other groups, North Carolina 2000-2017. Am J Ind Med 2022; 65:242-247. [PMID: 35128690 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Latino/a workers may experience higher fatal occupational injury rates than non-Latino/a workers. In North Carolina, the Latino/a population more than doubled between 2000 and 2017. We examined fatal occupational injuries among Latino/a and non-Latino/a workers in North Carolina over this period. METHODS Information on fatal occupational injuries was abstracted from records of the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the death certificate records held by the North Carolina Office of Vital Records. Estimates of the working population were derived from the decennial census and American Community Survey. Estimates of annual rates of fatal occupational injury for the period January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2017 were derived for Latino/a workers and compared to Black and White workers not identified as Latino/a. RESULTS Over the study period, 1,783 fatal occupational injuries were identified among non-Latino/a workers and 259 fatal occupational injuries among Latino/a workers in North Carolina. The majority of fatal occupational injuries among Latino/a workers occurred among males employed in construction and agriculture. While the fatal occupational injury rate among Latino/a workers declined over the study period, the rate among Latino/a workers was higher than among non-Latino/a White and Black workers; moreover, fatal occupational injury rates for Latino/a workers trended upwards during the most recent years of the study period. CONCLUSIONS Latino/a workers in North Carolina have the highest fatal occupational injury rate of any race/ethnicity group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan M Richey
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yvonne Golightly
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephen W Marshall
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wendy Novicoff
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Alexander P Keil
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maryalice Nocera
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - David B Richardson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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