Follow-up study of musculoskeletal disorders 20 months after the introduction of a mouse-based computer system.
(2008) In Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health 34(5). p.374-380- Abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to determine whether musculoskeletal health is influenced by mouse-intensive computer work. METHODS: The neck-upper limbs of 148 air-traffic controllers (71 women, 77 men) with demanding computer work were examined before (baseline) and a median of 20 months after (follow-up) a change from varied computer work to a mouse-based system, causing a significant change in the physical exposure of the workers (eg, lower variation of work postures and less rest in the forearm extensor muscles, as assessed by technical measurements). Complaints (according to a Nordic questionnaire), diagnoses (standardized physical examination), and psychosocial work environment (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire) were recorded.... (More)
- OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to determine whether musculoskeletal health is influenced by mouse-intensive computer work. METHODS: The neck-upper limbs of 148 air-traffic controllers (71 women, 77 men) with demanding computer work were examined before (baseline) and a median of 20 months after (follow-up) a change from varied computer work to a mouse-based system, causing a significant change in the physical exposure of the workers (eg, lower variation of work postures and less rest in the forearm extensor muscles, as assessed by technical measurements). Complaints (according to a Nordic questionnaire), diagnoses (standardized physical examination), and psychosocial work environment (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire) were recorded. RESULTS: The air traffic controllers had consistently higher prevalences of disorders in the elbows-hands in the follow-up than at the baseline (complaints 30% versus 18%, P=0.03; diagnoses 10% versus 3.4%, P=0.02). The predominance of right-arm disorders was more pronounced in the follow-up than at the baseline. For the neck-shoulders-upper back, there was no consistent difference between the baseline and follow-up values; disorders increased significantly among the "young" controllers (</=37 years), but not among the "older" ones. Perceived decision latitude decreased, while social support increased, but these changes did not explain the disorders that appeared in the elbows-hands. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive mouse-based computer work, with constrained posture and little rest in the forearm muscles, was associated with an increased risk of disorders in the elbows-hands. This finding should be considered for similar technological developments in other settings. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1262243
- author
- Arvidsson, Inger
LU
; Axmon, Anna
LU
and Skerfving, Staffan LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2008
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
- volume
- 34
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 374 - 380
- publisher
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000260804200007
- pmid:18853068
- scopus:56349089009
- ISSN
- 0355-3140
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a394e0dd-b3ba-490c-a580-3c68d6cdd0e3 (old id 1262243)
- alternative location
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18853068?dopt=Abstract
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 07:26:50
- date last changed
- 2022-01-29 02:11:16
@article{a394e0dd-b3ba-490c-a580-3c68d6cdd0e3, abstract = {{OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to determine whether musculoskeletal health is influenced by mouse-intensive computer work. METHODS: The neck-upper limbs of 148 air-traffic controllers (71 women, 77 men) with demanding computer work were examined before (baseline) and a median of 20 months after (follow-up) a change from varied computer work to a mouse-based system, causing a significant change in the physical exposure of the workers (eg, lower variation of work postures and less rest in the forearm extensor muscles, as assessed by technical measurements). Complaints (according to a Nordic questionnaire), diagnoses (standardized physical examination), and psychosocial work environment (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire) were recorded. RESULTS: The air traffic controllers had consistently higher prevalences of disorders in the elbows-hands in the follow-up than at the baseline (complaints 30% versus 18%, P=0.03; diagnoses 10% versus 3.4%, P=0.02). The predominance of right-arm disorders was more pronounced in the follow-up than at the baseline. For the neck-shoulders-upper back, there was no consistent difference between the baseline and follow-up values; disorders increased significantly among the "young" controllers (</=37 years), but not among the "older" ones. Perceived decision latitude decreased, while social support increased, but these changes did not explain the disorders that appeared in the elbows-hands. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive mouse-based computer work, with constrained posture and little rest in the forearm muscles, was associated with an increased risk of disorders in the elbows-hands. This finding should be considered for similar technological developments in other settings.}}, author = {{Arvidsson, Inger and Axmon, Anna and Skerfving, Staffan}}, issn = {{0355-3140}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{5}}, pages = {{374--380}}, publisher = {{Finnish Institute of Occupational Health}}, series = {{Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health}}, title = {{Follow-up study of musculoskeletal disorders 20 months after the introduction of a mouse-based computer system.}}, url = {{http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18853068?dopt=Abstract}}, volume = {{34}}, year = {{2008}}, }