Abstract
BackgroundInjuries involving career-technical-vocational education (CTE) are reported to the New Jersey Safe Schools Program online reporting system, the only U.S. State law-based surveillance data for young workers (ages twenty-one and younger), a susceptible, vulnerable adolescent sub-population.MethodsWe examined potential associations between socioeconomic status (SES) indicators and high school student injuries reported between 12/1998-12/2013, excluding injuries acquired by staff members. Associations between DFG score—a proxy for school/district SES—and variables relating to reported injuries, including severity, injury type, injury cause, body parts injured, injury treatment setting and demographics were examined with chi square test (X2) for independence and logistic regression. To assess potential associations between SES and personal protective equipment (PPE), data were stratified by 2003–2008 and 2008–2013, given mandated payment by employers of PPE for employees.ResultsStatistically significant associations were found between SES and injury cause [X2 = (7, 14.74), p = 0.04] and SES and injury treatment setting [X2 = (1, 4.76), p = 0.03]. Adjusted odds ratio suggested students from low SES schools were at a higher odds of being treated at a hospital emergency department (ED) than students from high SES schools (95 % CI 1.3–4.3, p < 0.01).ConclusionsThese findings indicated low SES schools/districts have increased odds of being treated at ED, after controlling for injury severity. Future research should focus on implications such associations have on health care access and insurance for young workers and their families. With small sample sizes representing lower DFG scoring (SES) schools/districts, additional efforts should be enacted to increase injury reporting in these schools/districts.
Highlights
Injuries involving career-technical-vocational education (CTE) are reported to the New Jersey Safe Schools Program online reporting system, the only U.S State law-based surveillance data for young workers, a susceptible, vulnerable adolescent sub-population
The New Jersey (NJ) Department of Education, based on NJ Administrative Code 6A:19–6.5, requires by law for accidents/incidents involving CTE students and/or staff that are treated by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or advanced practice nurse to be reported to the NJ Commissioner of Education [31,32,33]
Chi square tests (Χ2) for independence were conducted in order to examine associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and various variables including gender, injury-treatment setting, injury location on body, injury type, injury cause, severity of injury, and use of protective equipment (PPE), as these variables were hypothesized to be related to SES
Summary
This data analysis represents aggregate injury surveillance data; no personal, identifying information was utilized. Logistic regression was conducted to further explore associations between SES and injury report variables listed above Both crude and adjusted models were explored. The adjusted models included several variables hypothesized to potentially confound the association between SES and injury treatment setting. Eight career clusters were categorized as nonhazardous: (1) marketing; (2) arts, audio/video technology, and communication; (3) business management and administration; (4) education and training; (5) finance; (6) hospitality and tourism; (7) government and public administration; and, (8) information and technology It should be noted this classification scheme excluded the fact there are hazards present in each career cluster, for example, ergonomic factors which are accounted for in every workplace/workstation environment, including those career clusters classified as non-hazardous
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