Racial differences in employment outcomes after TBI

Model System:

TBI

Reference Type:

Accession No.:

Journal:

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

2008 , 89, 5, 988-995

Publication Website:

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To examine racial differences in employment status and occupational status 1 year after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Longitudinal dataset of the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems national database. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects with primarily moderate to severe TBI (3468 whites vs 1791 minorities) hospitalized between 1989 and 2005. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Employment status (competitively employed or unemployed) and occupational status (professional/managerial, skilled, or manual labor) at 1 year postinjury. RESULTS: Race and/or ethnicity has a significant effect on employment status at 1 year postinjury (chi(1)(2)=58.23, P<.001 after="" adjusting="" for="" preinjury="" employment="" status="" sex="" disability="" rating="" scale="" at="" discharge="" marital="" cause="" of="" injury="" age="" and="" education.="" the="" adjusted="" odds="" being="" unemployed="" versus="" competitively="" employed="" are="" times="" confidence="" interval="" greater="" minorities="" than="" whites.="" race="" ethnicity="" does="" not="" have="" a="" significant="" effect="" on="" occupational="" year="" postinjury.="" conclusions:="" with="" this="" empirical="" evidence="" supporting="" racial="" differences="" in="" outcomes="" between="" whites="" postinjury="" priority="" should="" be="" given="" to="" tailoring="" interventions="" maximize="" minority="" survivors="" work-related="" productivity.="">

Author(s):

Arango-Lasprilla, C., Ketchum, J.M., Williams, K., Kreutzer, J.S., Marquez de la Plata, C., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T.M., Wehman, P.