Does occupation explain gender and other differences in work-related eye injury hospitalization rates?

Objective: We sought to determine whether demographic differences in eye injury rates persist after adjusting for occupational exposure.

Methods: On-duty eye injury hospitalizations were linked to occupation among active-duty US Army personnel.

Results: Eye injury rates were higher for white soldiers, men, and for younger soldiers, even after adjusting for occupational group and specific job titles using multivariate models.

Conclusions: This finding contrasts with studies of other injuries, suggesting that occupation does not fully account for variations in eye injury risk. Because protective eye-wear can prevent most serious eye injuries, we hypothesize that differences in protective eye-wear use between men and women may contribute to differences in eye injury rates, although follow-up studies are needed to confirm this. Prevention efforts should consider targeting high-risk demographic groups in addition to high-risk occupations.