title: Racial differences in employment outcomes after traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine racial differences in employment status and occupational status 1 year after a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal dataset of the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems national database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects with primarily moderate to severe TBI (3468 whites vs 1791 minorities) hospitalized between 1989 and 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Employment status (competitively employed or unemployed) and occupational status (professional/managerial, skilled, or manual labor) at 1 year postinjury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Race and/or ethnicity has a significant effect on employment status at 1 year postinjury (chi(1)(2)=58.23, P<.001), after adjusting for preinjury employment status, sex, Disability Rating Scale at discharge, marital status, cause of injury, age, and education. The adjusted odds of being unemployed versus competitively employed are 2.17 times (95% confidence interval, 1.78-2.65) greater for minorities than for whites. Race and ethnicity does not have a significant effect on occupational status at 1 year postinjury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With this empirical evidence supporting racial differences in employment outcomes between minorities and whites at 1 year postinjury, priority should be given to tailoring interventions to maximize minority survivors' work-related productivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA. jcarangolasp@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Arango-Lasprilla
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ketchum
authors.forename: Kelli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kreutzer
authors.forename: Carlos D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Marquez de la Plata
authors.forename: Therese M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: O'Neil-Pirozzi
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wehman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies