Occupational Risks Associated with Cigarette Smoking: a Prospective Study

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 1992 Jan 1

PMID 1536330

Citations 17

Authors

J Ryan

C Zwerling

E J Orav

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Studies have indicated that cigarette smokers have more occupational accidents and injuries and use more sick time and health benefits than nonsmokers, thereby producing sizeable costs for employers. However, they usually have not controlled for other possible sources of these costs. We analyzed occupational costs associated with smoking while adjusting for a number of potential confounders.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, controlled study of the association between smoking and employment outcomes in 2537 postal employees, adjusting for age, gender, race, drug use, job category, and exercise habits.

Results: For smokers, the relative risk for turnover was 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-1.21); for accidents 1.29 (CI, 1.07-1.55); for injuries 1.40 (CI, 1.11-1.77); for discipline 1.55 (CI, 1.19-2.02). Their mean absence rate was 5.43% compared with 4.06% for nonsmokers.

Conclusions: Our study shows that cigarette smoking is associated with adverse employment outcomes after controlling for a number of possible confounders. This finding has implications for companies formulating smoking policies and considering the establishment of smoking cessation programs.

Citing Articles

Association between nicotine dependency with occupational injury in Korean men.

Jang S, Kim H, Kim J, Kim M, Won Y, Ju H Ann Occup Environ Med. 2021; 33:e14.

PMID: 34754475 PMC: 8203833. DOI: 10.35371/aoem.2021.33.e14.

Mortality following workplace injury: Quantitative bias analysis.

Busey A, Asfaw A, Applebaum K, OLeary P, Tripodis Y, Fox M Ann Epidemiol. 2021; 64:155-160.

PMID: 34607011 PMC: 10026009. DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.09.015.

Estimates of the Prevalence, Intensity and the Number of Workers Exposed to Cigarette Smoking across Occupations and Industries in Korea.

Jung H, Koh D, Choi S, Park J, Kim H, Lee S J Korean Med Sci. 2019; 34(31):e213.

PMID: 31392856 PMC: 6689490. DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e213.

Characteristics of Workplace Injuries among Nineteen Thousand Korean Firefighters.

Yoon J, Kim Y, Kim K, Ahn Y J Korean Med Sci. 2016; 31(10):1546-52.

PMID: 27550481 PMC: 4999395. DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2016.31.10.1546.

The impact of non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses on mortality.

Boden L, OLeary P, Applebaum K, Tripodis Y Am J Ind Med. 2016; 59(12):1061-1069.

PMID: 27427538 PMC: 8576832. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22632.

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