| The population of people over 55 years of age in the United States is projected to increase. As growing numbers of older people are unable to afford retirement, the number of older people remaining active in the workplace is projected to increase as well. Little is known about the patterns of work injuries that occur among older workers. This quantitative, nonexperimental study is identifying patterns of work injuries that occur among workers ages 55 and over. Data for this study were derived from archived records of 18,469 individuals over the age of 50, and maintained in the nationwide Health and Retirement Survey data bank at the University of Michigan. The dependent variable in this study was whether or not the individual experienced a work-related injury. The independent variables fell into four categories: demographic variables (gender, age, race, and highest degree earned), work-related variables (occupation, degree of physical effort required at work, and hourly wage), behavioral health variables (smoking, body mass index, and frequency of engagement in moderate exercise), and physical health variables (high blood pressure, diabetes, lung disease, heart conditions, and arthritis. The results indicated that work-related injuries were more likely for younger individuals (Exp( B) = .95, p = .003), males (Exp(B) = .40, p < .001), African Americans (Exp(B) = 1.59, p = .023), individuals with only a high school education (Exp(B) = .39, p = .010) and when employed with lower hourly wages (Exp(B) = .93, p = .030). Furthermore, higher body mass indices (Exp(B) = 1.03, p = .006), arthritis (Exp(B) = 2.95, p < .001), and diabetes (Exp(B) = 1.44, p = .043) showed statistical significance to work-related injuries. Therefore, it was recommended that decreased functioning, rather than advancing age, should be used as the relevant variable when considering an individual's capability for performing a certain task. Individuals should take responsibility for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight. Future research should provide a closer examination of work-related predictors of work-related injuries and compare companies with varying policies for reducing occupational injuries. The findings from this research may be useful in promoting and understanding initiatives for the furthering of wellness in the workplace for an older work age and contributing to a reduction of work-related injuries in older workers. |
