Association of Parent Workplace Injury With Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children

Abstract

Objective: Investigate associations between occupational injury to parents and the psychological well-being of their children.

Methods: We used multiple logistic regression to examine effects of occupational injury to parents on measures of psychological well-being among their children using National Health Interview Survey data from 2012 through 2016.

Results: Children of injured workers exhibited greater impairment than children of workers who had not sustained injuries for four of five measures of emotional and behavioral functioning that were hypothesized to differentiate these two child groups. A significant group difference was not observed for a sixth behavioral measure that was expected to be insensitive to parent occupational injury.

Conclusion: Study findings heighten concern over downstream effects of occupational injury and signal need for more expansive investigation of these effects and mitigation strategies among children of injured workers.