Risk of hand and forearm conditions due to vibrating hand-held tools exposure : a retrospective cohort study from Sweden
Zimmerman, Malin LU
; Nilsson, Peter
LU
; Rydberg, Mattias
LU
and Dahlin, Lars
LU
(2024)
In BMJ Open
14(6).
p.1-9
- Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The occurrence of hand and forearm disorders related to vibration exposure, adjusted for relevant background factors, is scarcely reported. We analysed the prevalence of such conditions in a large population cohort, stratified by sex, and associations with exposure to vibrating hand-held tools.
DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study.
SETTING: Individuals in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study cohort (MDCS; inclusion 1991-1996; followed until 2018) were asked, 'does your work involve working with vibrating hand-held tools?' (response: 'not at all', 'some' and 'much'). Data were cross-linked with national registers to identify treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), ulnar nerve entrapment (UNE), Dupuytren's... (More)
OBJECTIVES: The occurrence of hand and forearm disorders related to vibration exposure, adjusted for relevant background factors, is scarcely reported. We analysed the prevalence of such conditions in a large population cohort, stratified by sex, and associations with exposure to vibrating hand-held tools.
DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study.
SETTING: Individuals in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study cohort (MDCS; inclusion 1991-1996; followed until 2018) were asked, 'does your work involve working with vibrating hand-held tools?' (response: 'not at all', 'some' and 'much'). Data were cross-linked with national registers to identify treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), ulnar nerve entrapment (UNE), Dupuytren's disease, trigger finger or first carpometacarpal joint (CMC-1) osteoarthritis (OA). Cox regression models, unadjusted and adjusted (age, sex, prevalent diabetes, smoking, hypertension and alcohol consumption), were performed to analyse the effects of reported vibration exposure.
PARTICIPANTS: Individuals in the MDCS who had answered the questionnaire on vibration exposure (14 342 out of the originally 30 446 individuals in MDCS) were included in the study.
RESULTS: In total, 12 220/14 342 individuals (76%) reported 'no' exposure, 1392/14 342 (9%) 'some' and 730/14 342 (5%) 'much' exposure to vibrating hand-held tools. In men, 'much' exposure was independently associated with CTS (HR 1.71 (95% CI 1.11 to 2.62)) and UNE (HR 2.42 (95% CI 1.15 to 5.07)). 'Some' exposure was independently associated with UNE in men (HR 2.10 (95% CI 1.12 to 3.95)). 'Much' exposure was independently associated with trigger finger in women (HR 2.73 (95% CI 1.49 to 4.99)). We found no effect of vibration exposure on Dupuytren's disease or CMC-1 OA. 'Much' vibration exposure predicted any hand and forearm diagnosis in men (HR 1.44 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.80)), but not in women.
CONCLUSIONS: Vibration exposure by hand-held tools increases the risk of developing CTS and UNE and any common hand and forearm conditions in men, whereas women only risk trigger finger and CMC-1 OA. Adjustment for relevant confounders in vibration exposure is crucial.
(Less)
- author
- Zimmerman, Malin
LU
; Nilsson, Peter
LU
; Rydberg, Mattias
LU
and Dahlin, Lars
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-06-18
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Humans, Male, Female, Retrospective Studies, Sweden/epidemiology, Middle Aged, Vibration/adverse effects, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/epidemiology, Aged, Occupational Exposure/adverse effects, Occupational Diseases/epidemiology, Trigger Finger Disorder/epidemiology, Dupuytren Contracture/epidemiology, Hand, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Ulnar Nerve Compression Syndromes/epidemiology, Adult, Proportional Hazards Models
- in
- BMJ Open
- volume
- 14
- issue
- 6
- article number
- e080777
- pages
- 1 - 9
- publisher
- BMJ Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85196605353
- pmid:38890140
- ISSN
- 2044-6055
- DOI
- 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080777
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.
- id
- 8a2c65be-7744-4340-a894-e19666ebfcb9
- date added to LUP
- 2024-07-01 10:09:20
- date last changed
- 2024-07-02 07:38:30
@article{8a2c65be-7744-4340-a894-e19666ebfcb9,
abstract = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: The occurrence of hand and forearm disorders related to vibration exposure, adjusted for relevant background factors, is scarcely reported. We analysed the prevalence of such conditions in a large population cohort, stratified by sex, and associations with exposure to vibrating hand-held tools.</p><p>DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study.</p><p>SETTING: Individuals in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study cohort (MDCS; inclusion 1991-1996; followed until 2018) were asked, 'does your work involve working with vibrating hand-held tools?' (response: 'not at all', 'some' and 'much'). Data were cross-linked with national registers to identify treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), ulnar nerve entrapment (UNE), Dupuytren's disease, trigger finger or first carpometacarpal joint (CMC-1) osteoarthritis (OA). Cox regression models, unadjusted and adjusted (age, sex, prevalent diabetes, smoking, hypertension and alcohol consumption), were performed to analyse the effects of reported vibration exposure.</p><p>PARTICIPANTS: Individuals in the MDCS who had answered the questionnaire on vibration exposure (14 342 out of the originally 30 446 individuals in MDCS) were included in the study.</p><p>RESULTS: In total, 12 220/14 342 individuals (76%) reported 'no' exposure, 1392/14 342 (9%) 'some' and 730/14 342 (5%) 'much' exposure to vibrating hand-held tools. In men, 'much' exposure was independently associated with CTS (HR 1.71 (95% CI 1.11 to 2.62)) and UNE (HR 2.42 (95% CI 1.15 to 5.07)). 'Some' exposure was independently associated with UNE in men (HR 2.10 (95% CI 1.12 to 3.95)). 'Much' exposure was independently associated with trigger finger in women (HR 2.73 (95% CI 1.49 to 4.99)). We found no effect of vibration exposure on Dupuytren's disease or CMC-1 OA. 'Much' vibration exposure predicted any hand and forearm diagnosis in men (HR 1.44 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.80)), but not in women.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Vibration exposure by hand-held tools increases the risk of developing CTS and UNE and any common hand and forearm conditions in men, whereas women only risk trigger finger and CMC-1 OA. Adjustment for relevant confounders in vibration exposure is crucial.</p>}},
author = {{Zimmerman, Malin and Nilsson, Peter and Rydberg, Mattias and Dahlin, Lars}},
issn = {{2044-6055}},
keywords = {{Humans; Male; Female; Retrospective Studies; Sweden/epidemiology; Middle Aged; Vibration/adverse effects; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/epidemiology; Aged; Occupational Exposure/adverse effects; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology; Trigger Finger Disorder/epidemiology; Dupuytren Contracture/epidemiology; Hand; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Ulnar Nerve Compression Syndromes/epidemiology; Adult; Proportional Hazards Models}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{06}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{1--9}},
publisher = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
series = {{BMJ Open}},
title = {{Risk of hand and forearm conditions due to vibrating hand-held tools exposure : a retrospective cohort study from Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080777}},
doi = {{10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080777}},
volume = {{14}},
year = {{2024}},
}