title: Occupational vs. industry sector classification of the US workforce: which approach is more strongly associated with worker health outcomes?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Through use of a nationally representative database, we examined the variability in both self-rated health and overall mortality risk within occupations across the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Industry Sectors, as well as between the occupations within the NORA Industry sectors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using multiple waves of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) representing an estimated 119,343,749 US workers per year from 1986 to 2004, age-adjusted self-rated health and overall mortality rates were examined by occupation and by NORA Industry Sector.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was considerable variability in the prevalence rate of age-adjusted self-rated poor/fair health and overall mortality rates for all US workers. The variability was greatest when examining these data by the Industry Sectors. In addition, we identified an overall pattern of increased poor/fair self-reported health and increased mortality rates concentrated among particular occupations and particular Industry Sectors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that using occupational categories within and across Industry Sectors would improve the characterization of the health status and health disparities of many subpopulations of workers within these Industry Sectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Kristopher L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Arheart
authors.forename: Lora E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: Alberto J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Caban-Martinez
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ocasio
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McCollister
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Christ
authors.forename: Tainya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kachan
authors.forename: Evelyn P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Davila
authors.forename: Cristina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009026:Mortality; D009790:Occupations / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult