Citation

Schwatka NV, Shore E, Atherly A, Weitzenkamp D, Dally MJ, Brockbank CVS, Tenney L, Goetzel RZ, Jinnett K, McMillen J, Newman LS. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2018; 60(8): 710-716.

Affiliation

Center for Health, Work & Environment and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA (Natalie V. Schwatka, Erin Shore, Miranda J. Dally, Lee S. Newman, Liliana Tenney); Department of Health Systems, Management & Policy, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA (Adam Atherly); Center for Health, Work & Environment and Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA (David Weitzenkamp); Segue Consulting, Denver, CO USA (Claire v.S. Brockbank); Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, and IBM Watson Health, Bethesda, MD USA (Ron Z. Goetzel); Integrated Benefits Institute, and Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA (Kimberly Jinnett); Pinnacol Assurance, Denver, CO USA (James McMillen); and Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, and Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA (Lee S. Newman).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0000000000001301

PMID

29438153

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine how work and non-work health-related factors contribute to workers' compensation (WC) claims by gender.

METHODS: Workers (N = 16,926) were enrolled in the Pinnacol Assurance Health Risk Management study, a multiyear, longitudinal research program assessing small and medium-sized enterprises in Colorado. Hypotheses were tested using gender stratified logistic regression models.

RESULTS: For both women and men, having incurred a prior WC claim increased the odds of a future claim. The combination of incurring a prior claim and having metabolic health conditions resulted in lower odds of a future claim. Behavioral health risk factors increased the odds of having a claim more so among women than among men.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides data to support multifactorial injury theories, and the need for injury prevention efforts that consider workplace conditions as well as worker health.

Language: en