[Workplace injuries and professional mobility correlated with health problems. The potential and limitations of the ISTAT Labour Force survey--July 1999].
BACKGROUND
Knowledge on the occupational and social factors that influence the relationship between illness, absence from work and occupational mobility is at present insufficient.


OBJECTIVE
To map out, by social class and occupational group, the impact of health problems on work and the distribution of accidents and morbidity associated with occupation.


METHODS
Using data from the National Survey of the Italian Labour Force (ISTAT, 1999), covering a sample of 200,384 subjects, prevalence odds ratios of morbidity, work injuries and change of occupation due to health problems were calculated by social class and occupation, adjusting for age and residence.


RESULTS
The working class showed a higher risk, due to health problems, of a reduction in time worked (OR = 3.70 in men and OR = 4.10 in women), of choosing to work part-time (OR = 2.04 in men and OR = 2.27 in women), or of withdrawing from the workforce (for artisans, skilled manual workers, farmers and agricultural labourers OR = 1.63 in men and OR = 1.47 in women). This class was also at a greater disadvantage not only with respect to accident rates (OR = 1.85 in men and OR = 1.88 in women), but also with respect to the time needed for post-trauma rehabilitation and return to work (for absences of one week to one month: OR = 1.67 and 1.83 for men and women, respectively; for absences of more than one month: OR = 1.29 and OR = 1.69). Moreover, the working class, when compared to other social classes, had a higher rate of suffering from illness, physical impairment or other physical and psychological problems caused or aggravated by working activity (25% in men and 32% in women).


CONCLUSIONS
The ISTAT National Survey provides an estimate of minor accidents with prognoses of less than three days, including those not reported to the National Institute for Insurance against Occupational Accidents and Diseases (INAIL). This allows a preliminary exploration of the relationship between health problems and occupational mobility; however, it seems necessary to collect more detailed information in order to more exhaustively explore the mechanisms which generate the inequalities observed.
Vannoni
Francesca
F
Servizio regionale di Epidemiologia, ASL 5, Grugliasco (TO). francesca.vannoni@epi.piemonte.it
Mamo
C
C
Demaria
M
M
Ceccarelli
C
C
Costa
G
G
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002322:Career Mobility; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male