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Risk of musculoskeletal disorders among females and males in repetitive/constrained work

Nordander, Catarina LU orcid ; Ohlsson, Kerstina LU ; Åkesson, Ingrid LU ; Arvidsson, Inger LU ; Balogh, Istvan LU ; Hansson, Gert-Åke LU ; Strömberg, Ulf LU ; Rittner, Ralf LU orcid and Skerfving, Staffan LU (2009) In Ergonomics 52(10). p.1226-1239
Abstract
This paper combines epidemiological data on musculoskeletal morbidity in 40 female and 15 male occupational groups (questionnaire data 3720 females, 1241 males, physical examination data 1762 females, 915 males) in order to calculate risk for neck and upper limb disorders in repetitive/constrained vs. varied/mobile work and further to compare prevalence among office, industrial and non-office/non-industrial settings, as well as among jobs within these. Further, the paper aims to compare the risk of musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive/constrained work between females and males. Prevalence ratios (PR) for repetitive/constrained vs. varied/mobile work were in neck/shoulders: 12-month complaints females 1.2, males 1.1, diagnoses at the... (More)
This paper combines epidemiological data on musculoskeletal morbidity in 40 female and 15 male occupational groups (questionnaire data 3720 females, 1241 males, physical examination data 1762 females, 915 males) in order to calculate risk for neck and upper limb disorders in repetitive/constrained vs. varied/mobile work and further to compare prevalence among office, industrial and non-office/non-industrial settings, as well as among jobs within these. Further, the paper aims to compare the risk of musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive/constrained work between females and males. Prevalence ratios (PR) for repetitive/constrained vs. varied/mobile work were in neck/shoulders: 12-month complaints females 1.2, males 1.1, diagnoses at the physical examination 2.3 and 2.3. In elbows/hands PRs for complaints were 1.7 and 1.6, for diagnoses 3.0 and 3.4. Tension neck syndrome, cervicalgia, shoulder tendonitis, acromioclavicular syndrome, medial epicondylitis and carpal tunnel syndrome showed PRs2. In neck/shoulders PRs were similar across office, industrial and non-office/non-industrial settings, in elbows/hands, especially among males, somewhat higher in industrial work. There was a heterogeneity within the different settings (estimated by bootstrapping), indicating higher PRs for some groups. As in most studies, musculoskeletal disorders were more prevalent among females than among males. Interestingly, though, the PRs for repetitive/constrained work vs. varied/mobile were for most measures approximately the same for both genders. In conclusion, repetitive/constrained work showed elevated risks when compared to varied/mobile work in all settings. Females and males showed similar risk elevations. This article enables comparison of risk of musculoskeletal disorders among many different occupations in industrial, office and other settings, when using standardised case definitions. It confirms that repetitive/constrained work is harmful not only in industrial but also in office and non-office/non-industrial settings. The reported data can be used for comparison with future studies. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
tension neck syndrome, physical examination, questionnaire, shoulder, upper limb
in
Ergonomics
volume
52
issue
10
pages
1226 - 1239
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000270251200005
  • pmid:19787502
  • scopus:70350338082
ISSN
0014-0139
DOI
10.1080/00140130903056071
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
67f16b47-287c-4fa0-8fa8-ddcf475b1055 (old id 1489751)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19787502?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:36:13
date last changed
2022-04-28 17:16:55
@article{67f16b47-287c-4fa0-8fa8-ddcf475b1055,
  abstract     = {{This paper combines epidemiological data on musculoskeletal morbidity in 40 female and 15 male occupational groups (questionnaire data 3720 females, 1241 males, physical examination data 1762 females, 915 males) in order to calculate risk for neck and upper limb disorders in repetitive/constrained vs. varied/mobile work and further to compare prevalence among office, industrial and non-office/non-industrial settings, as well as among jobs within these. Further, the paper aims to compare the risk of musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive/constrained work between females and males. Prevalence ratios (PR) for repetitive/constrained vs. varied/mobile work were in neck/shoulders: 12-month complaints females 1.2, males 1.1, diagnoses at the physical examination 2.3 and 2.3. In elbows/hands PRs for complaints were 1.7 and 1.6, for diagnoses 3.0 and 3.4. Tension neck syndrome, cervicalgia, shoulder tendonitis, acromioclavicular syndrome, medial epicondylitis and carpal tunnel syndrome showed PRs2. In neck/shoulders PRs were similar across office, industrial and non-office/non-industrial settings, in elbows/hands, especially among males, somewhat higher in industrial work. There was a heterogeneity within the different settings (estimated by bootstrapping), indicating higher PRs for some groups. As in most studies, musculoskeletal disorders were more prevalent among females than among males. Interestingly, though, the PRs for repetitive/constrained work vs. varied/mobile were for most measures approximately the same for both genders. In conclusion, repetitive/constrained work showed elevated risks when compared to varied/mobile work in all settings. Females and males showed similar risk elevations. This article enables comparison of risk of musculoskeletal disorders among many different occupations in industrial, office and other settings, when using standardised case definitions. It confirms that repetitive/constrained work is harmful not only in industrial but also in office and non-office/non-industrial settings. The reported data can be used for comparison with future studies.}},
  author       = {{Nordander, Catarina and Ohlsson, Kerstina and Åkesson, Ingrid and Arvidsson, Inger and Balogh, Istvan and Hansson, Gert-Åke and Strömberg, Ulf and Rittner, Ralf and Skerfving, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{0014-0139}},
  keywords     = {{tension neck syndrome; physical examination; questionnaire; shoulder; upper limb}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1226--1239}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Ergonomics}},
  title        = {{Risk of musculoskeletal disorders among females and males in repetitive/constrained work}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140130903056071}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00140130903056071}},
  volume       = {{52}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}