Age differences in work accidents: Crosssectional study in Ecuadorian wage earners

Occupational accidents are an occupational health problem and can be associated with age. The main objective of this article is to compare the differences in work accidents between young people and adults in a representative subsample in the Republic of Ecuador. This is a cross-sectional analytical study based on the 2018 National Survey of Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment (n = 4,562). The analysis consisted of calculating prevalence and Odds Ratio (95% CI) by sociodemographic, employment and employment characteristics. employment, considering adults as the reference group. In general, significant differences were found in work accidents between young people and adults. The prevalence in adults (4%) was higher than in young people (2.4%). In contrast, indigenous youth (9.2%; OR = 2,527 [2,271-2,812]) and in rural areas (6.4%; OR = 1,776 [1,696-1,859]) presented higher prevalence and risk compared to Adults. The results do not support the hypothesis that young workers have more work accidents than adults.