Occupational physical demands and same-level falls resulting in fracture in female workers: an analysis of workers' compensation claims.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between occupational physical demands and risk of same-level falls resulting in fracture in female workers' compensation claimants.
METHODS: From workers' compensation claims for same-level falls, 7286 female workers from three age groups (18-49, 50-59 and 60-79 years) were randomly selected. Levels of occupational physical activity, standing and sitting were assigned using occupational codes. Fracture occurrence was determined using the International Classification of Diseases codes. Risks of same-level falls resulting in fracture were compared by quartiles of physical activity, standing and sitting.
RESULTS: In the 18-49-year age group, physical activity, standing and sitting at work were not significantly associated with risk of same-level falls resulting in fracture (p value trend: 0.07, 0.18 and 0.10, respectively). In the 50-59 and 60-79-year age groups, increasing duration of standing and decreasing duration of sitting were associated with decreasing risk of same-level falls resulting in fracture (p value trend: standing<0.001, 0.01; sitting<0.001, 0.02). In the 50-59-year age group, the relative risks of same-level falls resulting in fracture were 0.53, 0.41 and 0.82 for the second, third and highest quartiles of physical activity, respectively, as compared with workers in the lowest quartile (95% confidence interval 0.35 to 0.80, 0.23 to 0.72, 0.56 to 1.21, respectively). In the 60-79-year age group, there was a similar, but not significant, U-shaped association between occupational physical activity and risk of same-level falls resulting in fracture.
CONCLUSION: Moderate occupational physical demands may be associated with a decreased risk of same-level fall resulting in fracture in female workers' compensation claimants>or=50 years of age.