Racial and Ethnic Inequities in the Return-to-Work of Workers Experiencing Injury or Illness: A Systematic Review.
Arif Jetha, Lahmea Navaratnerajah, Faraz Vahid Shahidi and 4 others
PMID 37294368WHAT IT FOUND
Workers from non-White and racial/ethnic minority groups were less likely to return to work after a non-occupational injury or illness compared to White workers.
Evidence for occupational injuries was insufficient to draw conclusions.
Key findings
01Non-White or racial/ethnic minority workers were less likely to return to work following a non-occupational injury or illness compared to White or racial/ethnic majority workers.
02There was insufficient evidence to determine racial or ethnic differences in return-to-work outcomes for workers with occupational injuries or illnesses.
03Black workers had a moderate level of evidence suggesting they were less likely to return to work after a non-occupational injury or illness compared to White workers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The review included only quantitative studies, excluding qualitative research that might provide deeper insight into the mechanisms of these inequities. There was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about return-to-work outcomes for workers with occupational injuries, limiting the applicability to workplace-specific rehabilitation. The quality appraisal tool may not have adequately assessed how well the included studies measured race, ethnicity, and racism. Most included studies were conducted in the United States, which may limit the generalizability of findings to other OECD countries with different labor market structures.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Arthritis Society, Canada. No other conflicts of interest were declared by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply equally to workers injured on the job. The review found insufficient evidence to determine if racial or ethnic inequities affect return-to-work outcomes for occupational injuries, as most included studies focused on non-occupational conditions.