Functional Limitations and Well-Being in Injured Municipal Workers: A Longitudinal Study

Two instruments, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36), were used to document both the immediate and short-term effects of workplace injuries in municipal workers. Telephone interviews were conducted up to 3 months following the injury. One hundred fourteen subjects agreed to participate in the study; 90 workers completed at least one useable interview. The relationship between functional limitation and lost days was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. At 3 months following the onset of injury, SF-36 scores for physical function, role-physical, and bodily pain differed significantly from population norms. Using one standard deviation of change, statistically significant hazard ratios were seen in subjects with lower SF-36 physical component summary, physical function, and bodily pain scores, and higher HAQ disability and fatigue scores. Functional limitations persisted in workers after relatively minor workplace injuries despite a 91% return to work rate.