Industrial accidents cost a huge amount of money, but they also have negative consequences in many respects. We analyzed the data of the first to fourth panel study of workers’ compensation insurance (PSWCI). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the annual income before and after the industrial accident, and a general linear model was used to identify changes in income due to disability ratings and participation in economic activities. The wages before the industrial accident and the annual income varied among the disabilities ratings. In addition, for affected workers, the average income during four years post-accident was lower than the average income before the accident. Regression analysis to see changes in income after the industrial accident showed that the group with a disability rating of 11–14 and no injuries had a suffered a greater income decrease than those with a disability rating of 1–3, and the unemployment group saw a greater decrease in income than the employment group. Workers who were affected by industrial accidents received lower incomes than before the accident, and even considering different disability ratings, there was a greater decrease in income among the unemployed group than in the working group.

Objective: To investigate changes in the incomes of workers, particularly those in the construction sector, who experienced industrial accidents according to their status of return to work. Methods: We used data from the fifth Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare annual differential incomes before and after the industrial accident, and a linear mixed model was used to investigate the changes in income from before to after the industrial accident according to the industry and return-to-work status. Results: A comparison of the industrial categories revealed that construction industry workers exhibited the greatest incomes before the accident and the greatest decrease in income after the industrial accident. Regression analysis for assessing changes in income after the industrial accident showed that a comparison by industry revealed a significantly greater reduction in income in the construction than service industry. A comparison by work status revealed significantly greater decreases in income in the reemployment and non-return to work groups than among those who returned to their original work. Conclusions: The economic statuses of the victims of industrial accidents decreased relative to the pre-accident statuses in all industries. The ability to return to original work is important for preserving the accident victim’s economic status.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the association between gender discrimination in the workplace and pregnancy planning/childbirth experiences among working women in South Korea. Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF) for the years 2007 to 2016. The study population consisted of 7996 working women, between the ages of 19 and 45. Gender discrimination was measured through the 6-item Workplace Gender Discrimination Scale, evaluating discrimination in terms of recruitment, promotions, pay, deployment, training and lay-offs. Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to measure the association between gender discrimination and the pregnancy planning/childbirth experience. Results: Compared to individuals experiencing no discrimination in the workplace, those experiencing low [odds ratio (OR): 0.78, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.61–0.99] or medium (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.54–0.89) levels of discrimination had decreased odds of pregnancy planning. Likewise, individuals scoring low (OR: 0.70, 95% CI 0.54–0.92), medium (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.51–0.92), or high (OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27–0.80) levels of discrimination also had decreased odds of childbirth experience when compared to the no-experience group. When stratified by income, compared to individuals experiencing no discrimination in the workplace, those experiencing gender discrimination had decreased odds of pregnancy planning for low income (low OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.45–0.92; medium OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.52–0.97; high OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.24–0.87), medium income (medium OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.37–0.77; high OR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.14–0.63), and high income groups (low OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49–0.84; medium OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.52–0.92). Conclusions: The present study finds that gender discrimination in the workplace is associated with decreased odds of pregnancy planning/childbirth experience among working South Korean women. Furthermore, low and medium income groups were especially more likely to be affected by the level of gender discrimination in the workplace when planning pregnancy.

Background This study examined how meeting the medical needs of injured workers after initial treatment may affect their return to work, using data from the Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance. Methods This study was designed as a longitudinal study, which used data from the second-year, follow-up survey conducted in the secondary cohort of the Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval were estimated through binomial and multinomial logistic regression analyses to examine the effects of unmet medical needs on workers’ return to original work and return to work overall (including reemployment). Results The returned to original work OR of workers whose rehabilitation needs were met was 1.35 (1.12–1.63) while the return to work OR was 1.20 (1.03–1.41). The returned to original work OR of workers whose medical needs were met was 1.64 (1.18–2.27) while the return to work OR was 1.39 (1.07–1.80). In terms of disability rating, the return to work ORs of workers with mild disabilities whose medical/rehabilitation needs were not met and those of workers without disabilities were 1.71 (1.17–2.49) and 1.97 (1.27–3.08), respectively. In the case of regular/temporary workers, the returned-to-work ORs of workers whose medical/rehabilitation needs were not met were 1.54 (1.12–2.13) and 1.27 (1.03–1.56), respectively. Conclusions For workers who sustained work-related injuries, providing medical accessibility and meeting rehabilitation needs were found to be important predictors of return to work after initial treatment.

Our results revealed differences in the incidence rates of moderate-to-severe TBI and mild TBI, along with pertinent differences in time lost from work between the two groups; the study highlights the need for providing information on mild TBI to workers as part of occupational safety and health education.