Citation

Zwerling CS, Whitten PS, Sprince NL, Davis CS, Wallace RB, Blanck PD, Heeringa SG. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2002; 44(4): 358-364.

Affiliation

University of Iowa, College of Public Health, 100 Oakdale Campus, #126 IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242-5000, USA. CZwerling@mail.public-health.uiowa.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11977423

Abstract

Using the National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplement of 1994 to 1995, we examined the factors associated with employment among Americans with disabilities. Persons with disabilities who were more educated were more likely to be working. Married men were more likely to work than unmarried men (odds ratio [OR], 1.58). Blacks were less likely to work than whites (OR, 0.56). Persons with disabilities related to cardiovascular disease (OR, 0.23), musculoskeletal disease (OR, 0.37), and respiratory disease (OR, 0.23) were less likely to work than other Americans with disabilities. Among persons with psychiatric disorders, there was considerable variety in the propensity to work. Persons with schizophrenia (OR, 0.24) and paranoid delusional disorder (OR, 0.34) were markedly less likely to work; persons with bipolar disorder (OR, 0.60) and major depression (OR, 0.69) were also less likely to work. Lastly, persons with self-reported alcohol abuse (OR, 1.30) were more likely to work, and persons with self-reported drug abuse (OR, 0.93) were not less likely to work, than others in our study population of Americans with disabilities.