title: Low-back injuries in a heavy industry. II. Labor market forces.
abstract: Trends in rates of low-back strains, low-back impact injuries, and non-low-back injuries among field employees of a petroleum drilling company, 1979-1985, were examined to investigate the relationship between economic factors and the incidence of low-back and other injuries. Economic indicators included the rate of resignations, a surrogate for turnover, and the rate of layoffs. Only lost-time low-back strain rates increased during times of worker layoffs. Non-low-back injury rates were highest during periods of high turnover and no layoffs. Although the increasing age of the work force and the anxiety generated by an industry-wide depression may have played a role, it is likely that the increase in lost-time low-back strain injuries was a worker response to possible layoff.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Clemmer
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000191:economics; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics*; D000328:Adult; D019567:Back Injuries; D001416:Back Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000191:economics; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009790:Occupations; D010578:Petroleum; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014478:Unemployment
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum