Wei-Shan Chin1,2, Yue Leon Guo1,2,3, Shih-Cheng Liao4, Hsueh-Ching Wu5, Chun-Ya Kuo6, Chih-Chieh Chen1, Judith Shu-Chu Shiao7. 1. Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University School of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. National Institute of Environmental Health Science, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan. 3. Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 4. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 5. Department of Nursing, Hsin Sheng Junior College of Medical Care and Management, Taoyuan, Taiwan. 6. Department of Psychiatry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. 7. School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. scshiao@ntu.edu.tw.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Occupational injuries have considerable impact on workers' lives. However, data regarding workers' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at several years after the injury are lacking. This study assessed workers' HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury and determined related factors in each HRQOL domain. METHODS: Workers who sustained an occupational injury in 2009 and who responded to a previous survey at 3 or 12 months after their injury were followed up in 2015. A total of 1715 participants were candidates for this study. The Taiwanese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale-abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to assess their HRQOL. Multiple linear regression analysis identified predictive factors for HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury. RESULTS: A total of 563 workers completed the questionnaire (response rate, 32.8%). Adverse life events and additional severe occupational injuries that occurred within the follow-up period, and decreased salary after the injury were significant factors for low scores in all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. In addition, unmarried participants had low scores in the social relationship domain. Workers with family members requiring care scored low in the physical and environment domains. Workers whose injuries had major effects on their physical appearance had low scores in the physical and psychological domains. Workers with unstable employment had low scores in physical, psychological, and environment domains. CONCLUSION: At 6 years after occupational injury, workers' HRQOL was poor among those whose salaries decreased after the injury, after adjustment for other factors.
PURPOSE:Occupational injuries have considerable impact on workers' lives. However, data regarding workers' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at several years after the injury are lacking. This study assessed workers' HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury and determined related factors in each HRQOL domain. METHODS: Workers who sustained an occupational injury in 2009 and who responded to a previous survey at 3 or 12 months after their injury were followed up in 2015. A total of 1715 participants were candidates for this study. The Taiwanese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale-abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to assess their HRQOL. Multiple linear regression analysis identified predictive factors for HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury. RESULTS: A total of 563 workers completed the questionnaire (response rate, 32.8%). Adverse life events and additional severe occupational injuries that occurred within the follow-up period, and decreased salary after the injury were significant factors for low scores in all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. In addition, unmarried participants had low scores in the social relationship domain. Workers with family members requiring care scored low in the physical and environment domains. Workers whose injuries had major effects on their physical appearance had low scores in the physical and psychological domains. Workers with unstable employment had low scores in physical, psychological, and environment domains. CONCLUSION: At 6 years after occupational injury, workers' HRQOL was poor among those whose salaries decreased after the injury, after adjustment for other factors.
Entities:
Keywords:
Decreased salary; Occupational injury; Quality of life; Unemployment; Workers