title: The economic burden of disease by industry: Differences in quality-adjusted life years and associated costs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study compares differences in quality-adjusted life expectancy across the eight original National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) industry sectors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the 1997 to 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were used to estimate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for all workers and by NORA sector. Differences in QALYs were calculated and translated into economic values using estimates of the societal willingness-to-pay per QALY.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean QALYs across workers was 29.17 years. Among NORA sectors, wholesale, and retail trade workers had the highest average QALYs remaining (35.88), while mining workers had the lowest QALYs (31.4). The economic value of this difference ranges from $604,843 to $1,155,287 per worker depending on the societal willingness-to-pay per QALY.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The value of life lost within some industries is very high relative to others. Additional investments in occupational safety, benefits, and health promotion initiatives may reduce these losses, but experimental research is needed to assess the effectiveness of such programs.
authors: Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
authors: Davina V
authors: DV
authors: Tolbert
authors: Kathryn E
authors: KE
authors: McCollister
authors: William G
authors: WG
authors: LeBlanc
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Lee
authors: Lora E
authors: LE
authors: Fleming
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Muennig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: NORA; QALYs; burden of disease; quality-adjusted life years; years of healthy life