Trends in the disproportionate burden of work-related traumatic injuries sustained by Latinos

Abstract

Objective: Disproportionate occupational injury rates for Latinos are well documented, but there is limited information about whether disparity is increasing over time. This study describes trends in the burden of work-related traumatic injuries sustained by Latinos in Washington State.

Methods: Washington State Trauma Registry data from 1998 to 2008 were used to model annual change in the odds that a work-related traumatic injury was sustained by a Latino, controlling for demographics, injury-related factors, and Latino representation in the underlying labor force.

Results: We found a 5% mean annual increase in the odds that a comparable work-related traumatic injury was sustained by a Latino (P = 0.007). Falls in industrial/mine/quarry locations were the strongest contributor to increasing disparity.

Conclusions: Latinos bear an increasingly disproportionate burden of occupational injuries and are less likely to have health insurance coverage aside from workers' compensation.