Relationship of work injury severity to family member hospitalization.
BACKGROUND
Working while under stress due to a family health event may result in injuries of greater severity. Work leave might mitigate such consequences.


METHODS
Workers' compensation data for 33,817 injured workers and inpatient medical data for 76,077 members of their families were extracted from the 2002-2005 Thomson Reuters Medstat MarketScan Health and Productivity Management (HPM) and Commercial Claims and Encounter (CCE) datasets. Using a probit model, the impact of family hospitalization on the probability that a subsequent injury would be severe (above average indemnity costs) was estimated, adjusting for age, sex, hourly versus salaried status, industry sector, state, and family size.


RESULTS
Family hospitalization within 15 days before injury increased the likelihood that the injury would be severe (from 12.5% to 21.5%) and was associated with 40% higher indemnity costs and 50% higher medical costs. Hospitalizations over 30 days before injury had no impact.


CONCLUSIONS
The observed higher severity of work injuries following family hospitalizations suggests additional analyses may find higher injury rates as well, and that timely family leaves might help prevent severe workplace injuries.
Asfaw
Abay G
AG
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Office of the Director, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. hqp0@cdc.gov
Bushnell
P Timothy
PT
Ray
Tapas K
TK
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D005192:Family Health; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011594:Psychometrics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D014481:United States