EARLY RETURN TO WORK AFTER FIREARM INJURY: RATES AND PREDICTORS irjohnson@mcw.edu

 

EARLY RETURN TO WORK AFTER FIREARM INJURY: RATES AND PREDICTORS

3

United States

Oral only

In the United States, the socioeconomic burden of firearm injury is gravely apparent; yet, literature has not adequately addressed the return-to-work (RTW) rate for patients acutely after injury. Previous research reports 40.9% RTW between six and twelve months post-injury. This study explores RTW and its predictors in a firearm-injured population within six months of injury.

This is a prospective, longitudinal observational study of firearm-injured adults (N=135) admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Center in the Midwest region of the US from 2022 to 2025. RTW was assessed using a self-report survey at four timepoints: 2 weeks, 1-month, 3-months, and 6-months post-hospital discharge. The sample was predominantly male (85.9%), Black (79.3%), and on average, 30.54 years old (SD=10.36). Descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model were utilized to identify associations between RTW, injury severity (ISS), and hospital length of stay (LOS).

Of this sample, 71.9% were employed prior to injury, and only 38.5% RTW by six months post-discharge. The average LOS was 7.68 days (SD=5.95), and the average ISS was 16.76 (SD=10.00). The full regression model was statistically significant [X2(2)=8.89,p<.05]. Higher ISS significantly predicted lower odds of RTW within six months post-firearm injury (OR=.944, 95%CI:0.901-0.988, p=0.013), while LOS was not significant.

Loss of employment due to firearm injury further contributes to the stress of recovery and financial toxicity. Understanding the impact of ISS and other predictors on RTW enables healthcare professionals to address subsequent barriers like decreased physical functioning and pain that ultimately contribute to the inability to RTW.