July 13, 2007
A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine determined that there is a relationship between excess body mass index (BMI) and the number and type of workers compensation claims, associated costs, and lost workdays. BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
The study entitled Obesity and Workers Compensation: Results from the Duke Health and Safety Surveillance System was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSHA has recently focused on lifestyle issues including obesity reduction thorough improved nutrition and increased physical activity.
Authors, Truls Ostbye, MS, PhD; John M. Dement, PhD; and Katrina M. Krause, MA, conducting an 8 year study of approximately 12,000 Duke University employees. Factors included BMI, sex, age, race/ethnicity, smoking status, employment duration occupational group, body part affected, nature of injury, and cause of injury. Participants completed a health risk assessment questionnaire, and their blood pressure total cholesterol and non fasting glucose levels were recorded.
All workers compensation claims during the study, excluding first reports and first aid were assessed. The study found that there was a clear linear relationship between BMI category and claims rate, with the rate for the heaviest employees being twice that of recommended- weight employees. Because the number of lost workdays and the costs per claim also increase rapidly with BMI, the effects of BMI on lost workdays and costs were even stronger. The number of lost workdays was almost 13 times higher, medical claims costs were 7 times higher, and the indemnity claims costs were 11 times higher among the heaviest employees compared with those of recommended weight.
The study also found that higher rates of claims was evidenced among physically demanding jobs such as laundry staff, housekeepers, inpatient nurses and nurses aides; the later due to manual patient lifting, repositioning and transferring tasks. Claims related to the back, knee hips feet, wrist, arm neck and shoulders were also significantly associated with BMI as were claims caused by lifting, slip and fall and overexertions were significantly affected by BMI.
Conclusions of the study suggest that maintaining healthy weight not only is important to workers but should also be a high priority for their employers given the strong effect of BMI on workers injuries. Complementing general interventions to make all workplaces safer, work- based programs targeting healthy eating and physical activity should be developed and evaluated.
The full text of the study, Obesity and Workers Compensation: Results from the Duke Health and Safety Surveillance System was published in the April 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and may be found on-line at http://archinte.ama-assn.org