Determinants of occupational injury for us home health aides reporting one or more workrelated injuries

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Abstract

Objectives Home health aides (HHAs) work in a highrisk industry and experience high rates of work-related injury that have been significantly associated with reduction in workers and organisational productivity, quality and performance. The main objective of the study was to examine how worker environment and ergonomic factors affect HHA risk for reporting occupational injuries. Method We used cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2007 National Home Health and Hospice Aide Survey (NHHAS). The study sample consisted of a nationally represented sample of home health aides (n=3.377) with a 76.6% response rate. We used two scales1: a Work Environment Scale and2 an Ergonomic Scale. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to describe HHA work-related injury across individual, job and organisational factors. To measure scale reliability, Cronbachs alphas were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of reported occupational injury. Results In terms of Work Environment Scale, the injury risk was decreased in HHAs who did not consistently care for the same patients (OR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.53 to 1.73). In terms of Ergonomic Scale, the injury risk was decreased only in HHAs who reported not needing any other devices for job safety (OR=0.30, 95% (CI): 0.15 to 0.61). No other Work Environment or Ergonomic Scale factors were associated with HHAs risk of injury. Conclusion This study has great implications on a subcategory of the workforce that has a limited amount of published work and studies, as of today, as well as an anticipated large demand for them.

Publication Title

Injury Prevention

Volume

24

Issue

5

First Page

351

Last Page

357

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1136/injuryprev-2017-042449

PubMed ID

28778938

ISSN

13538047

E-ISSN

14755785

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