title: Work injuries among migrant workers in Denmark.
abstract: Work migration into Denmark has increased during the recent decades, especially after the enlargement of the European Union (EU) in 2004. Whether or not migrant workers experience more work injuries than the native workforce has been debated and results are conflicting, most likely due to methodological difficulties and cultural disparities. We set out to meet these challenges using population-based work injury registers, targeting a specific and representative region in Denmark.
  
  
  
  This population-based study used data on work injuries from an emergency department (ED) and reported injuries from the ED's catchment area to the Danish Working Environment Authority during 11 years. We calculated incidences of work injury for groups of migrant workers compared with native Danes and adjusted incidence rate ratios based on information on the complete working population.
  
  
  
  The incidences of work injuries among migrant workers from the new EU countries and from the rest of the world were higher compared with Danish workers and workers from the old EU countries and other Western countries. Especially migrants older than 30 years and in low-risk industries were at higher risk. Workers who had migrated recently were at even higher risk.
  
  
  
  We found increased risk of work injuries among migrant workers. Studying migrants in registers is a methodological challenge as some migrants are not registered, for legal or illegal reasons; thus, only a selected group is studied, but this may most likely underestimate the risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, University Research Clinic, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Herning, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7038-9566
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Biering
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lander
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, University Research Clinic, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Herning, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005062:European Union / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*