Prevalence of Persons With Disabilities Varies Across Occupations

Highest prevalences seen among workers in food prep and serving-related, personal care and service occupational groups

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of persons with disabilities varies across occupation groups, with the highest prevalence rates among workers in food preparation and serving-related and personal care and service groups, according to research published in the May 19 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Taylor M. Shockey, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed 2016 to 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 35 states and Guam to estimate disability prevalence rates among currently employed U.S. adults aged 18 to 64 years.

The researchers found that the highest adjusted disability prevalence rates were among workers in food preparation and serving-related; personal care and service; and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupation groups (19.9, 19.4, 17.7 percent, respectively). Business and financial operations; health care practitioners and technicians; and architecture and engineering were the occupational groups with the lowest adjusted disability prevalences (11.3, 11.1, and 11.0 percent, respectively).

“Additional research is needed to improve understanding of how employers can improve disability practices, including accommodations, interventions, and programs to promote the hiring and retention of employees with disability,” the authors write. “Both employees with disabilities and employers can benefit from a more equitable and inclusive workforce.”