An Approach to Assess the Burden of Work-Related Injury, Disease, and Distress

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Am J Public Health
• Personal Author:
  Schulte, Paul A. ; Pana-Cryan, Rene ; Schnorr, Teresa ; Schill, Anita L. ; Guerin, Rebecca ; Felknor, Sarah ; Wagner, Gregory R.
• Description:
  The true burden (morbidity, mortality, disability, cost, pain, distress) of occupational and work-related diseases and injuries is unknown, and what is reported as burden is significantly underestimated. This underestimation affects the way decision-makers view investments in research and worker protection, which in turn has a substantial impact on national welfare and public health. To better describe the societal and individual burdens of occupational and work-related diseases and injuries, we propose an approach to gauge what is known about burden and where new assessments may be made. This approach consists of 4 elements to consider in burden assessments: (1) utilizing multiple domains, including the individual worker, the worker's family, the community in which the workplace is located, the employer, and society as a whole; (2) taking a broader view of the work-relatedness of disease and injury; (3) assessing the impact of the entire working-life continuum; and (4) applying the comprehensive concept of "well-being" as an indicator in addressing contemporary changes in the nature of work, the workplace, and the workforce. Further research on burden and enhanced surveillance is needed to develop these elements.
• Subjects:
  Administrative Personnel Article Disabled Persons Humans Occupational Diseases Occupational Injuries Public Health Stress, Psychological Workplace
• Source:
  Am J Public Health. 107(7):1051-1057.
• Pubmed ID:
  28520495
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5463208
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
• Volume:
  107
• Issue:
  7
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:eaa9a5c698e78c1501cfd1edc1243379ed401efc977f3a6cbb2434581fc7b751
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/48167/cdc_48167_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.22 MB ]