Risk factors for occupational injuries among older workers: an analysis of the health and retirement study

This study examined risk factors for occupational injury among older workers. We analyzed data on 6854 employed nonfarmers from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a population-based sample of Americans 51 through 61 years old. Occupational injuries were associated with the following: the occupations of mechanics and repairers (odds ratio [OR] = 2.27), service personnel (OR = 1.68), and laborers (OR = 2.18); jobs requiring heavy lifting (OR = 2.75); workers' impaired hearing (OR = 1.60) and impaired vision (OR = 1.53); and jobs requiring good vision (OR = 1.43). Self-employment was associated with fewer injuries (OR = 0.47). These results emphasize the importance of a good match between job demands and worker capabilities.