Occupational injuries reported in a population-based injury survey in Vietnam

This analysis of data from the Household Injury Survey conducted in Viet Nam in 2004-2005 sought to characterize the patterns of work-related injuries in Viet Nam and to determine whether self-employed and artisanal workers had higher rates of injuries than formally employed workers. The annual incidence rate of work-related injuries in Viet Nam was 7.06 per 1,000 person-years. Daily alcohol consumption was strongly associated with work-related injuries. The highest burden of injuries was among farmers. Mechanical forces were the most common mechanism of injury. Self-employed workers had a rate of work-related injuries 26% higher than that of formally employed workers. Self-employed workers were younger, less educated, and more likely to be male. This population-based survey showed substantial underreporting of occupational injuries by existing surveillance mechanisms, which focus on formally employed workers. Priorities for future work include developing an integrated surveillance system for injuries and implementing further needs assessments to improve the prevention of occupational injuries.