Abstract

OBJECTIVE: In order to compare and find the HRQOL and it's determinants among occupationally injured workers, TA patients and general workers, we performed a crosssectional study in Masan and Changwon city, Korea.
METHODS
Cases were 169 occupationally injured workers who admitted in the hospital, and controls were 78 TA patients who admitted in the hospital and 166 general workers who worked at Ulsan industrial area. HRQOL were measured by SBQOL. We investigated confounding variables which were age, sex, marital status, employment status, family numbers, monthly income, diagnosis, treatment duration, expectation for health recovery, and expectation for return to work. We compared the HRQOL among occupationally injured workers, TA patients and general workers. We made four factors from twenty three items by factor analysis and used multiple logistic regression to find determinants on HRQOL in each group.
RESULTS
There were significant differences in HRQOL between case and control. The main determinants on HRQOL from multiple logistic regression varied in each group. In occupationally injured workers, age(OR 2.73), treatment duration(> 6 months) (OR 3.09) and expectation for return to work(OR 2.62) were main determinants for HRQOL. And age(OR 1.07), marital status(OR 7.41), family members(OR 5.73), expectation for health recovery(OR 4.23) in TA patients. However, monthly income (<1,300,000 won)(OR 1.76) were main determinants for HRQOL in general workers.
CONCLUSION
Return to work is major determinants of HRQOL for occupationally injured workers.

• Keywords: HRQOL;SBQOL;Occupational injury