Cost and disability trends of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Ohio
K Davis1, K Dunning2, G Jewell3
1Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 160 Panzeca, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, USA, kermit.davis@uc.edu.
Background:
With expected changes in age demographics many industry sectors may see their workforce significantly increase in age. The impact of claims and costs associated with musculoskeletal disorders in these industries may also change accordingly.
Aims:
To determine the age-related trends in musculoskeletal disorders, including claims and costs, in different industrial sectors in the state of Ohio, USA.
Methods:
Worker's compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders in the state of Ohio between 1999 and 2004 were analysed in respect of age, industry sector, body region, and impact on cost and medical care (percentage of claims associated with surgery and number of procedures costing in excess of US$600).
Results:
More than 570000 claims were analysed. Patterns of cost and disability among the majority of body regions demonstrated an increasing trend until 55 years of age, decreasing in older age groups. However, many industries demonstrated a continued increasing trend in costs with age. Shoulder and lumbar spine disorders showed unique industry-specific trends for older age groups as compared to the bell-shaped relationships for other body regions.
Conclusions:
Ageing appeared to have a role in the frequency and costs of musculoskeletal disorder claims in this study. However, industry-specific trends in the data suggest that job-specific risk factors may also play a role. The impact of age alone on the cost of musculoskeletal disorders cannot be determined because age is confounded by numerous lifestyle and work-related factors not identifiable in this study.
