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Trends in work-related musculoskeletal disorder reports by year, type, and industrial sector: a capture-recapture
Tim Morse1, C Dillon, E Kenta-Bibi
1Division of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030-6210, USA. tmorse@nso.uchc.edu
Background:
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are thought to be declining based on Bureau of Labor Statistics survey data, but there is also evidence of MSD under-reporting, raising the possibility of contrary trends. The magnitude of MSD under-reporting over time, and its industry distribution have not been adequately described.
Methods:
Capture-recapture analysis of 7 years of Connecticut MSD (1995-2001), utilizing Workers' Compensation and physician reporting data was performed.
Results:
Only 5.5%-7.9% of MSD cases appear to be reported to Workers Compensation annually. The capture-recapture estimated average annual rate for upper-extremity MSD was 133.1 per 10,000 employed persons, far above BLS rates. By industry, Manufacturing, State Government, and the Finance/Insurance/Real Estate sectors all had significantly higher MSD rates than Wholesale/Retail Trade.
Conclusions:
Upper-extremity MSD appears to be significantly under-reported, and rates are not decreasing over time. Capture-recapture methods provide an improved surveillance method for monitoring temporal trends in injury rates.
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