Preventing occupational injuries: women's perception of risk from musculoskeletal exposures.

Perception of injury risk is associated with an individual's propensity to act. This study examined the relationship between women's demographic, occupational, and risk characteristics, and health and occupational stressors as predictors of their perceptions of injury risk to self and other women from occupational musculoskeletal exposures. This cross-sectional study included a random sample of women who were employed in the 12 months prior to survey administration (N = 123, 27% response rate). A telephone survey consisting of 154 items was administered in English or Spanish. For the perception of injury risk to self, the final multiple regression equation explained approximately 66% of the variance with significant unique contributions identified for bodily pain, occupational exposure to repeated strenuous physical activity or repetitive hand motion, perceived seriousness and controllability of the risk, and perception of risk to other women. Similarly, for perception of injury risk to other women, the final multiple regression equation explained approximately 57% of the variance with significant unique contributions identified for household size, occupational exposure to repetitive hand motion, familiarity of the risk, and perception of injury risk to self. Exposure experiences and risk characteristics were found to increase women's perceptions of risk from occupational musculoskeletal exposures.