Pattern and Trends of Traumatic Occupational Injury among Employees' State Insurance Corporation Beneficiaries: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Traumatic occupational injuries are an important preventable cause of morbidity among industrial workers. Data describing their temporal and clinical patterns among Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) beneficiaries are limited. Objective: To describe the pattern and trend of traumatic occupational injuries sustained during working hours among ESIC beneficiaries reporting to ESIC Model Hospital, Jaipur. Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective observational registry-based study using de-identified secondary registry data from Accident and Emergency Department records, medico-legal records and inpatient case-sheets. All eligible ESIC beneficiaries presenting with traumatic occupational injury sustained during working hours from 1 August 2022 to 30 April 2025 were included. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test for trend and Poisson regression with observation time as an offset were applied. Results: A total of 200 traumatic occupational-injury cases were recorded. The mean age was 35.1 ± 12.3 years, and 96.0% were males. The largest age group was 20-29 years (37.5%). Upper-extremity injuries were most frequent (119/200; 59.5%, approximately 60.0%), followed by lower-extremity injuries (42/200; 21.0%). The annual distribution was 26 cases in 2022, 57 in 2023, 91 in 2024 and 26 in the first four months of 2025. A significant increasing trend was observed by a chi-square test for trend chi-square = 6.22; p = 0.013). Poisson regression adjusted for partial-year observation showed an annual increase in registry presentations (IRR 1.18; 95% CI 1.01-1.38;                p = 0.039). July and August together accounted for 48 injuries; seasonal Poisson analysis showed higher presentation rates during these peak months than other observed months (IRR 1.77; 95% CI 1.28-2.45; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Occupational traumatic injuries among ESIC beneficiaries at Jaipur predominantly affected young male workers, with upper limbs as the most common injury site and a monsoon-season peak. These findings support targeted engineering, administrative and behavioural interventions, especially for young workers and during high-risk months.