Workdays lost due to occupational injuries among young workers in Brazil

Abstract

Background: The severity of non-fatal work-related injuries has seldom been examined among young workers. We estimated the extent and distribution of workdays lost due to non-fatal work injuries using compensation data. Methods: Data are from the Brazilian Institute of Social Insurance, for 2006. The study population is comprised of all insured workers of age 16–24. Descriptive statistics reflect workdays lost due to health-related disability, according to sex, age group, wage, and trade. Results: Out of 4.8 million insured workers ages 16–24 years, we estimated 1,282,940 workdays lost. We observed a larger number of median workdays lost among males age 20–24 in retail and service trades (83 days) and among 16–19-year-old females in the agriculture/fish/forestry/cattle (142 days). Conclusions: Young workers experience a heavy burden of work-related injuries. Disability workdays may compromise school attendance and performance. Other potential impacts affect productivity and social insurance costs.