Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

Can Women’s Work Related Injuries Increase with Stress?

by Preethi Sivaswaamy Mohana on Feb 14 2018 10:57 AM

Can Women’s Work Related Injuries Increase with Stress?
Mental and behavioral health factors like depression, anxiety, and fatigue are more likely to affect women with work related injuries than men, according to a new study led by researchers from the Colorado School of Public Health's Center for Health, Work & Environment on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
"The findings of our study demonstrate that keeping workers safe requires more than your typical safety program. It requires an integrated approach that connects health, well-being, and safety," said Dr. Natalie Schwatka, the study's lead author and assistant professor in the ColoradoSPH's Center for Health, Work & Environment and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.

The authors collaborated with Colorado's largest workers' compensation insurer, Pinnacol Assurance, to examine the claims data of 314 businesses from a range of industries. Close to 17,000 employees ranging from executives to laborers were represented in the study. The researchers found that men were more likely to sustain a work-related injury but behavioral health factors, like poor sleep and anxiety, did not directly affect their risk of injury. Women were more likely to report experiencing mental and behavioral health issues and these conditions increased their risk of getting hurt on the job. Almost 60% of women with a work injury reported experiencing a behavioral health condition before they were injured, compared to 33% of men.

Yet, Dr. Schwatka cautions that further research is needed to understand why there are differences in women's and men's risk of work-related injuries. Overall, workers who had an injury in the past were more likely to be injured again, regardless of their gender.

"There a number of social and cultural factors that may explain why women reported having more behavioral health concerns than men did. Men generally admit to fewer health concerns," said Dr. Schwatka. "And women may face different stresses at work and at home. It's something that is worth exploring in future research."



Source-Eurekalert


Advertisement