Individual-level factors associated with work-related injuries among Washington adolescents

Surveillance and workers’ compensation claims research show that adolescents are at greater risk for work-related injuries and deaths than adults. This study examines the individual-level factors associated with work-related injuries among working teens in Washington State. We analyzed data from the 2010 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) of 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th grade students in public schools. We used chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate the association between report of ever having a work-related injury and a variety of individual-level factors (e.g., language spoken at home, sleep duration, and grades.) Of 11,222 teens who completed questions about work in the 2010 HYS, 37.2% (N=4,175) reported having ever worked for pay. Among these, 6.4% (N=265) reported ever seeking treatment for a work-related injury. In bivariate analyses, work-related injury history varied significantly by grade, sex, age, race/ethnicity, maternal education, alcohol and marijuana use, history of sexual intercourse, grades and sleep duration (p<0.01). Multivariable regression results revealed significant associations between work-related injury and the following characteristics: male (OR=1.98, 95% CI:1.16-3.39), not living in parent’s or guardian’s home (OR=3.68, 95% CI:1.74-7.79), language other than English usually spoken at home (OR=2.46, 95% CI:1.08-5.64), and weeknight sleep duration under five hours (OR=2.54, 95% CI:1.14-5.67). Work-related injuries among high school youth are associated with multiple factors not typically connected with the workplace and rarely considered in strategies aimed at reducing these injuries. Prevention strategies should consider incorporating these risk factors into their approaches to reducing young worker injuries.