Health Equity and a Paradigm Shift in Occupational Safety and Health

Details

• Personal Author:
  Check P ; Flynn MA ; Sivén JM ; Steege, Andrea L. ; Syron LN ; Check P ; Flynn MA ; Sivén JM ; Steege, Andrea L. ; Syron LN
• Description:
  Despite significant improvements in occupational safety and health (OSH) over the past 50 years, there remain persistent inequities in the burden of injuries and illnesses. In this commentary, the authors assert that addressing these inequities, along with challenges associated with the fundamental reorganization of work, will require a more holistic approach that accounts for the social contexts within which occupational injuries and illnesses occur. A biopsychosocial approach explores the dynamic, multidirectional interactions between biological phenomena, psychological factors, and social contexts, and can be a tool for both deeper understanding of the social determinants of health and advancing health equity. This commentary suggests that reducing inequities will require OSH to adopt the biopsychosocial paradigm. Practices in at least three key areas will need to adopt this shift. Research that explicitly examines occupational health inequities should do more to elucidate the effects of social arrangements and the interaction of work with other social determinants on work-related risks, exposures, and outcomes. OSH studies regardless of focus should incorporate inclusive methods for recruitment, data collection, and analysis to reflect societal diversity and account for differing experiences of social conditions. OSH researchers should work across disciplines to integrate work into the broader health equity research agenda. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Demography Health Promotion Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Occupational Safety And Health Biopsychosocial Model Demographic Characteristics Future Of Work Health Equity Health Programs Inclusive Research Methods Injuries Psychosocial Factors Safety Programs SDOH Social Determinants Of Health Work

  More +
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSI - Division of Science Integration ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; WSD - Western States Division ; DSI - Division of Science Integration ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; WSD - Western States Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  19
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20064276
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jan; 19(1):349
• Contact Point Address:
  Michael A. Flynn, Occupational Health Equity Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  mflynn@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a829c35697f0b90887e3ddd48f928794d290b670ce017472252e2a40bdb32f8ccd4b5126142fc7ae445e336937afdc5e9ead6e4dc6376ff0e48be4870e1fcc9b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/222773/cdc_222773_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 378.84 KB ]