Health Equity and a Paradigm Shift in Occupational Safety and Health

Michael A. Flynn, Pietra Check, Andrea L. Steege, Jacqueline M. Sivén and Laura N. Syron
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Michael A. Flynn: Occupational Health Equity Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
Pietra Check: Occupational Health Equity Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
Andrea L. Steege: Occupational Health Equity Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
Jacqueline M. Sivén: Occupational Health Equity Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
Laura N. Syron: Occupational Health Equity Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Despite significant improvements in occupational safety and health (OSH) over the past 50 years, there remain persistent inequities in the burden of injuries and illnesses. In this commentary, the authors assert that addressing these inequities, along with challenges associated with the fundamental reorganization of work, will require a more holistic approach that accounts for the social contexts within which occupational injuries and illnesses occur. A biopsychosocial approach explores the dynamic, multidirectional interactions between biological phenomena, psychological factors, and social contexts, and can be a tool for both deeper understanding of the social determinants of health and advancing health equity. This commentary suggests that reducing inequities will require OSH to adopt the biopsychosocial paradigm. Practices in at least three key areas will need to adopt this shift. Research that explicitly examines occupational health inequities should do more to elucidate the effects of social arrangements and the interaction of work with other social determinants on work-related risks, exposures, and outcomes. OSH studies regardless of focus should incorporate inclusive methods for recruitment, data collection, and analysis to reflect societal diversity and account for differing experiences of social conditions. OSH researchers should work across disciplines to integrate work into the broader health equity research agenda.

Keywords: occupational safety and health; health equity; social determinants of health; work; biopsychosocial model; inclusive research methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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