Single mothers miss more workdays after injury: study

Toronto – Single mothers are more likely than other parents to miss seven or more workdays after an on-the-job injury, according to a study from the Institute for Work & Health.

Researchers analyzed data from a survey of Canadian households to determine relationships between parental status and time off of work after injury. The data included about 88,000 respondents – 11 percent of whom were single mothers.

Single mothers were 50 percent more likely than partnered fathers – the study’s reference group – to miss at least seven days of work after an injury, researchers said. No statistical difference was seen between partnered fathers and single fathers, while partnered mothers were slightly less likely than either group of fathers to miss seven-plus days of work.

The findings surprised researchers because single mothers have been found to be less likely to access workers’ compensation, which could lead to greater financial burdens on them.

The study was published in the August issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.