Assessing the role of social determinants of health in health disparities: The need for data on work.

Background: Work is a key social determinant of health. Without the collection of work-related information in public health data systems, the role of social determinants in creating and reinforcing health disparities cannot be fully assessed.

Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains or supports a number of public health surveillance and health monitoring systems, including surveys, case-based disease and exposure systems, vital status records, and administrative data systems.

Injuries That Happen at Work Lead to More Opioid Prescriptions and Higher Opioid Costs.

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.

Measuring the benefits of occupational safety and health research with economic metrics: Insights from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Measuring the ultimate impact of research on health and economic well-being has presented challenges that have rarely been surmounted, and research on preventing occupational injuries and illnesses is no exception. Nevertheless, there is an increasing need to demonstrate the value of publicly funded research. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently contracted with the RAND Corporation to conduct six in-depth case studies that aimed to quantify the benefits of key NIOSH research efforts using economic metrics.

Employment status, unemployment duration, and health-related metrics among US adults of prime working age: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2018-2019.

Background: While unemployment has been associated with poor health, few recent studies in the United States have comprehensively assessed associations between employment status (including duration unemployed) and healthcare access, health-related behaviors, and specific health outcomes.

Methods: We assessed health-related metrics by employment status in 2018-2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System respondents ages 25-54. We calculated the unadjusted prevalence and adjusted prevalence ratios to compare employed workers to respondents who were self-employed, short-term (<12 months) unemployed, long-term unemployed, and unable to work.

Describing economic benefits and costs of nonstandard work hours: A scoping review.

Background: The benefits of nonstandard work hours include increased production time and the number of jobs. While for some sectors, such as emergency services, around-the-clock work is a necessary and critical societal obligation, work outside of traditional daytime schedules has been associated with many occupational safety and health hazards and their associated costs. Thus, organizational- and policy-level decisions on nonstandard work hours can be difficult and are based on several factors including economic evaluation.

Do Injured Workers Receive Opioid Prescriptions Outside the Workers' Compensation System?: The Case of Private Group Health Insurances.

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.

Association between longest-held occupation and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits receipt.

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).

Prevalence and Expenses of Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions, With Associated Sociodemographic, Economic, and Work Characteristics.

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.