Work-related injuries: an old problem revisited in the first representative U.S. sample of home health aides

To examine whether certain personal and workplace factors increase risk for work-related injuries among home health aides.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the 2007 National Survey of Home Health Aides among workers who provided formal caregiving to older adults or people with disabilities (N = 3,377, weighted sample = 160,720).

Multivariate logistic regression identified six factors associated with injury: White race (OR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.18, 3.63); inappropriate workload (OR = 3.27, 95% CI 1.55, 6.93); having multiple jobs (OR = 2.73, 95% CI 1.30, 5.71); job dissatisfaction (OR = 2.71, 95% CI 1.23, 5.96); higher hourly pay rate (OR = 2.38, 95% CI 1.31, 4.33); and working in two locations (inpatient facility and patient's home) compared with working in patient's home only (OR = 2.57, 95% CI 1.51, 4.40).

Interventions should be developed to address preventable risk factors. Evaluations of candidate interventions should control for other related factors that are not modifiable.