Læknablaðið - 01.11.2014, Blaðsíða 23

LÆKNAblaðið 2014/100 591
ENGLISH SUMMARY
introduction: The aim of the research is to investigate work injuries
among 13-17-year-old teenagers in Iceland, their causes and serious-
ness. Firstly, the prevalence of work injuries among the age-group is
examined, as is the length of their absence from work, as well as the
gender and age differences of both factors. Secondly, the type and the
cause of the injuries are investigated. Thirdly, the most serious injuries
and their causes are studied further.
Material and methods: A survey was carried out amongst 2000 teena-
gers, aged 13-17, randomly selected from the Registers Iceland. The
response rate was 48.4%. The teenagers were asked in a closed ques-
tion about whether they had had an accident at work, and in an open
one about the type and cause of the injury. A Chi-square test was used
to test statistical significance: 95% confidence interval (CI).
Results: A fifth of the young people had had an accident at work, one
quarter of the injured workers were absent from work because of the inj-
ury of which 5.9% for more than a week. The percentage of injured wor-
kers increases with age and has reached 30,7% among the 17-year-olds.
Cuts and sprains were the most common injuries, whereas back injuries
and bone fractures caused the longest absences. Sharp instruments
were the most common cause of an injury, but lifting/carrying a (heavy)
object as well as a fall of an object caused the longest absences.
Conclusion: The prevalence of young workers’ injuries and the serious-
ness of some of these injuries are of concern. In addition to education
on occupational health and safety (OHS) and OHS training, future
research must analyse if their labour market position threaten the young
people’s safety, and if it is the case, how to prevent it.
Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Iceland.
key words: Work injuries, teenage workers, seriousness of work injuries, types of work injuries, causes of work injuries.
Correspondence: Margrét Einarsdóttir, margrei@hi.is
Work injuries of 13-17-year-old icelanders: Causes and consequences
Margret Einarsdottir, Gudbjorg Linda Rafnsdottir, Jonina Einarsdottir
Heimildir
1. Einarsdóttir M. Paid Work of Children and Teenagers in
Iceland: Participation and protection. Óprentuð doktors­
ritgerð, Félags­ og mannvísindadeild Háskóla Íslands,
2014.
2. Rafnsdóttir GL. Barn­ og ungdomsarbete i Norden. Nord
1999: 23; 1999.
3. Dunn KA, Runyan CW, Cohen LR, Schulman MD. Teens
at work: a statewide study of jobs, hazards, and injuries. J
Adolesc Health 1998; 22: 19­25.
4. Hobbs S, Anderson S, McKechnie J. Exploring risks faced
by child workers in Britain. Int J Sociology Soc Policy 2009;
29: 176­85.
5. Simoyi P, Frederick L, Niezen C. Teenagers’ experience
with occupational health and safety issues in West
Virginia. Hum Ecolog Risk Assess 2001; 7: 1945.
6. Zierold KM, Anderson H. The relationship between
work premits, injury, and safety training among working
teenagers. Am J Ind Med 2006; 49: 360­6.
7. Frone MR. Predictors of work injuries among employed
adolescents. J Appl Psychol 1998; 83: 565­76.
8. Rasmussen K, Hansen CD, Nielsen KJ, Andersen JH.
Incidence of work injuries amongst Danish adolescents
and their association with work environment factors. Am J
Ind Med 2011; 54: 143­52.
9. Salminen S. Have young workers more injuries than older
ones? An international literature review. J Safety Res 2004;
35: 513­21.
10. Breslin FC, Day D, Tompa E, Irvin E, Bhattacharyya S,
Clarke J, et al. Non­agricultural work injuries among
youth: A systematic review. Am J Prev Med 2007; 32: 151­
62.
11. Evensen CT, Schulman MD, Runyan CW, Zakocs RC,
Dunn KA. The downside of adolescent employment: haz­
ards and injuries among working teens in North Carolina.
J Adolesc 2000; 23: 545­60.
12. Dahlén M. The Negotible Child: The ILO Child Labour
Campain 1919­1973. Uppsala Universitet, Uppsölum 2007.
13. Eydal GB, Rafnsdóttir GL, Einarsdóttir M. Working
children in Iceland: Policy and the labour market. Barn
2009; 3­4: 187­203.
14. McKechnie J, Hobbs S. Child labour: The view from the
North. Childhood: A Global J Child Res 1999; 6: 89­100.
15. Runyan CW, Schulman M, Dal Santo J, Bowling JM, Agans
R, Ta M. Work­related hazards and workplace safety of
US adolescents employed in the retail and service sectors.
Pediatrics 2007; 119: 526­34.
16. Zierold K, M., Welsh EC, McGeeney TJ. Attitudes of
Teenagers Towards Workplace Safety Training. J Comm
Health 2012; 37: 1289­95.
17. Tucker S, Turner N. Waiting for safety: Responses by
young Canadian workers to unsafe work. J Safety Res
2013; 45: 103­10.
18. Breslin FC, Polzer J, MacEachen E, Morrongiello B,
Shannon H. Workplace injury or ‘part of the job’?: Towards
a gendered understanding of injuries and complaints
among young workers. Soc Sci Med 2007; 64:7 82­93.
19. Zakocs RC, Runyan CW, Schulman MD, Dunn KA,
Evensen CT. Improving safety for teens working in the
retail trade sector: Opportunities and obstacles. Am J Ind
Med 1998; 34: 342­50.
20. McDonald P, Bailey J, Price R, Pini B. School­aged workers:
Industrial citizens in waiting? J Soc 2012.
21. Vinnueftirlit ríkisins. Slysaskrá Vinnueftirlitsins. slysatol­
fraedi.ver.is/ ­ ágúst 2014.
22. Landlæknisembættið. Slysaskrá íslands. landlaeknir.is/
tolfraedi­og­rannsoknir/tolfraedi/heilsa­og­lidan/slys/ ­
október 2013.
23. Lög um aðbúnað, hollustuhætti og öryggi á vinnustöðum
[Vinnuverndarlög], nr. 46/1980. Með áorðnum breyting­
um 15/1986, 61/1990, 7/1996, 52/1997, 83/199, 17/2003,
68/2003, 90/2004, 138/2005, 88/2008.
24. Runyan CW, Zakocs RC. Epidemilogy and prevention of
injuries among adolescent workers in United States. Ann
Rev Publ Health 2000; 21: 247.
25. McKechnie J, Hobbs S, Lindsay S, Lynch M. Working
children: The health and safety issue. Child Soc 1998; 12:
38­47.
26. Neuman WL. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and
Quantitative approaches (Sixth Edition). Lasser J, editor.
Pearson, Allyn and Bacon, Boston 2006.
27. Hagstofa Íslands. Mannfjöldi eftir kyni og aldri 1841­2013:
hagstofa.is/Hagtolur/Mannfjoldi/Yfirlit ­ mars 2014.
28. Hestbaek L, Leboeuf­Yde C, Kyvik KO, Manniche C. The
course of low back pain from adolescence to adulthood:
Eight­year follow­up of 9600 twins. Spine 2006; 31: 468­72.
29. Runyan CW, Bowling JM, Schulman M, Gallagher SS.
Potential for violence against teenage retail workers in the
United States. J Adolesc Health 2005; 36: 267.e1­.e5.
30. Kines P, Framke E, Salmi A, Bengtsen E. Young workers’
occupational safety and health risks in the Nordic count­
ries. Nordic Council of Ministers, TemaNord Copenhagen:
2013: 5692013.
R a n n S Ó k n