Publications by authors named "Abay Asfaw"

Objectives: To estimate the impact of occupational injury and illness on opioid-related mortality while accounting for confounding by preinjury opioid use.

Methods: We employed a retrospective cohort study design using Washington State workers' compensation data for 1994-2000 injuries linked to US Social Security Administration earnings and mortality data and National Death Index (NDI) cause of death data from 1994 to 2018. We categorised injuries as lost-time versus medical-only, where the former involved more than 3 days off work or permanent disability.

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Objectives: To measure associations between employment precarity and mental health among United States (US) workers.

Methods: This study used data from the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2008-2021. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to measure associations between employment precarity (operationalized as a multi-dimensional exposure) and self-rated mental health after adjusting for relevant confounders.

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Background: Occupation is associated with a large part of daily activities, affecting lifestyle and social status. However, limited research exists on the association between longest-held occupation (LHO) and early mortality. We examine if LHO is associated with mortality risk among US adults 51 years of age and older.

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Introduction: The objective of this study was to explore the association between access to paid sick leave (AtPSL) and self-reported feelings of depression and anxiety in a nationally representative U.S. working population.

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COVID-19 continues to take a large toll on the mental health of the not working population, particularly of those who were unable to work. This study, using the Household Pulse Survey, estimated the association between reasons for not working and major depression and anxiety symptoms (MDAS). The lowest MDAS was reported by retirees.

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Objectives: To measure the impact of lost-time occupational injuries on all-cause mortality in Washington State and, using the same data elements and study design, to determine whether the estimated impact was similar to previous estimates for New Mexico.

Methods: We linked injuries in the Washington workers' compensation system with Social Security Administration data on earnings and mortality. We estimated Cox survival models of mortality for women and men with lost-time compared with medical-only injuries, adjusting for age, pre-injury earnings and industry.

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Objectives: This study aimed to compare opioid prescription incidence, supply days, and cost associated with occupational injury and other injury-caused conditions.

Methods: We used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data for 2010-2019. The MEPS provides information on medical conditions and associated medical encounters, treatments, and treatment costs, as well as demographic, education, health, working status, income, and insurance coverage information.

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A growing literature has pointed out disparities in teleworking among different racial and ethnic (hereafter racial) workers. This study estimated racial disparities in teleworking due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent to which these disparities were mediated by four-year college education and occupation in the United States. The data source for this study was the Current Population Survey, May 2020 through July 2021.

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Introduction: Of the 22.8 million coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases recorded in the United States as of March 21, 2021 with age information, three-fourths were in the workingage group, indicating the potentially high economic impact of the pandemic. This study estimates the cost of lost work hours associated with the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 through February 2021.

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Purpose: Recent studies have shown increased all-cause mortality among workers following disabling workplace injury. These studies did not account for 2 potentially important confounders, smoking and obesity. We estimated injury-related mortality accounting for these factors.

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Background: Nationwide, as of 20 June 2021, COVID-19 has claimed more than 599,000 lives and infected nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that COVID-19 disproportionately affects some racial and ethnic minority groups. This study examined whether certain racial and ethnic groups were overrepresented in occupations with potentially high COVID-19 exposure risks, relative to their share in the total workforce.

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Objective: Investigate associations between occupational injury to parents and the psychological well-being of their children.

Methods: We used multiple logistic regression to examine effects of occupational injury to parents on measures of psychological well-being among their children using National Health Interview Survey data from 2012 through 2016.

Results: Children of injured workers exhibited greater impairment than children of workers who had not sustained injuries for four of five measures of emotional and behavioral functioning that were hypothesized to differentiate these two child groups.

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Objectives: We explored the impact of workplace injury on receiving opioid prescriptions from employer-sponsored private group health insurances (GHI) and how long injured workers receive opioid prescriptions after injury.

Methods: We used a difference-in-differences method and MarketScan databases for the years 2013 to 2015.

Results: Estimated odds for injured workers relative to noninjured workers to receive opioid prescriptions from the GHI within 60 and 180 days from the index date of injury were 4.

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Introduction: The cost of the Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) program has increased over time though recent reports showed that disability incidence and prevalence rates have started declining. We explored whether occupation was one of the risk factors for the rising number of disabled workers who received DI benefits during 1992-2016.

Methods: We used a cohort of 16 196 Health and Retirement Survey respondents between the age of 51 and 64 years who were followed from their date of entry until they received DI benefits, died, reached full retirement age, or reached the end of the follow-up period (2016).

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Objectives: To examine the impact of workplace injury on opioid dependence, abuse and overdose (opioid-related morbidity) and if severity of injury increases the hazard of these health effects.

Methods: We used MarketScan databases to follow injured and propensity score matched non-injured workers, both without prior opioid-related diagnoses. Using a Cox proportional hazard model, we examined the impact of workplace injury on opioid-related morbidity.

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Information on opioids obtained by workers is important for both health and safety. We examined the prevalence and total expenses of obtaining outpatient opioid prescriptions, along with associated sociodemographic, economic, and work characteristics, in national samples of U.S.

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Introduction: For most Americans, health insurance is obtained through employers. Health insurance coverage can lead to better health outcomes, yet disparities in coverage exist among workers with different sociodemographic and job characteristics. This study compared uninsured rates among workers with different work arrangements.

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This study examined the association between employees' perceived job insecurity and employee engagement. Using Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index (2008-2014) data, we applied logistic regressions to examine the association between job insecurity and engagement, controlling for covariates. The job insecurity variable was also interacted with the supervisor support variable.

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Objective: Most U.S. employers are not required to provide paid sick leave (PSL), and there is limited information on the economic return of providing PSL.

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Background: We examined the association between parental access to paid sick leave (PPSL) and children's use of preventive care and reduced likelihood of delayed medical care and emergency room (ER) visits.

Methods: We used the child sample of the National Health Interview Survey data (linked to the adult and family samples) from 2011 through 2015 and logistic and negative binomial regression models.

Results: Controlling for covariates, the odds of children with PPSL receiving flu vaccination were 12.

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Background: Research has infrequently looked beyond the injured worker when gauging the burden of occupational injury.

Objectives: We explored the relationship between occupational injury and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among family members of injured workers.

Data And Methods: We used 2005 and 2006 Truven Health Analytics databases, which contain information on workers' compensation and family healthcare claims.

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Objective: Previous research suggests that non-workers' compensation (WC) insurance systems, such as group health insurance (GHI), Medicare, or Medicaid, at least partially cover work-related injury and illness costs. This study further examined GHI utilization and costs.

Methods: Using two-part model, we compared those outcomes immediately after injuries for which accepted WC medical claims made zero or positive medical payments.

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Objective: This study examined the association between workplace mistreatment and occurrence, duration, and costs of sickness absenteeism.

Methods: We used the 2010 National Health Interview Survey and considered 13,807 employed adult respondents. We used a zero-inflated negative binomial (zinb) model to examine the association between exposure to workplace mistreatment and the occurrence and number of workdays missed due to illness/injury in the preceding 12 months.

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