Work-related musculoskeletal disorder claims among construction workers changed with age
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The rate of overexertion-related work-related musculoskeletal disorder claims among construction workers rose and then fell with increasing patient age, according to published results.
Harpriya Kaur, PhD, and colleagues analyzed 10,347 work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) claims related to overexertion submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation by construction workers during 2007 to 2017. Researchers measured rates and costs of allowed claims by patient age group.
Results showed construction workers aged 35 to 44 years had the highest rates of WMSD claims per 10,000 full-time employees from overexertion, followed by claim rates among construction workers aged 45 to 54 years and those aged 25 to 34 years. Researchers noted the relationship between WMSD rate and age differed by diagnosis category.
“For example, we found the claim rate of disc disorders and upper extremity sprains was higher among those aged 35- to 44-years and 45- to 54-years old, while the rate of back sprains was higher among those aged 25 to 34 years and 35 to 44 years,” Kaur told Healio Orthopedics. “A key caveat is that the rate and severity of WMSDs among older workers is undoubtedly lowered somewhat due to injured workers leaving the construction industry, and we do not know how much this has affected the results. More research is needed in this area.”
Researchers found the severity of WMSDs increased with age, peaking among construction workers aged 55 to 64 years. Construction workers aged 45 to 54 years had the highest percentage of lost-time claims (with 100 or more workdays lost), while construction workers aged 18 to 24 years had the lowest percentage, according to results. Construction workers aged 45 to 54 years and those aged 54 to 64 years had the highest cost per claim and construction workers aged 45 to 54 years had the highest cost per full-time employee, researchers found. Results showed the relationship between cost and age differed by diagnosis category, with cost per full-time employee for back and lower extremity sprains peaking among construction workers aged 35 to 44 years and those aged 25 to 34 years, respectively. Researchers also found spinal disc disorder costs per full-time employee peaked among construction workers aged 45 to 54 years, while upper extremity sprain costs per full-time employee peaked at 55 to 64 years of age.
“As the U.S. workforce grows older, it is critical to understand age-specific health and safety needs of workers in hazardous and physically demanding industries, such as construction,” Kaur said. “[National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health] NIOSH hopes that more awareness of the kinds of WMSDs that are more common and severe for certain age groups and occupations could lead to better implementation of existing ergonomic prevention measures and workplace accommodations to promote post-injury recovery.”
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