title: Occupational injuries, duty status, and factors associated with injuries among firefighters.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the type of occupational injuries, duty status, and factors associated with injuries among firefighters. A total of 437 firefighters from three U.S. states participated in an Internet-based survey. Approximately 66% of firefighters experienced occupational injuries and 56% reported multiple injuries. The most commonly reported injuries were muscle strains and sprains (74%), extremity injuries (60%), back injuries (54%), and burns (28%). A significant number of firefighters reported no duty (58%) or modified duty (46%). Firefighters with more than 17 years in fire services were more likely to report injuries (odds ratio [OR] = 2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.92-4.58) and multiple injuries (OR = 2.47; 95% CI = 1.49-4.10). Hispanics (OR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.15-0.76) and those with stronger organizational commitments (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.35-0.84) were less likely to report injuries. Several factors were associated with injuries. These factors should be incorporated into interventions to reduce occupational injuries.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco, CA 94143-0608, USA. oisaeng.hong@nursing.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Oisaeng
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Dal Lae
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feld
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors