Occupational and Other Risk Factors for Hand-Grip Strength: The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burchfiel CM ; Charles LE ; Fekedulegn D ; Kashon ML ; Petrovitch H ; Ross GW ; Sanderson, Wayne T.
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: In certain occupations, including farm work, workers are exposed to hazardous substances, some of which are known to be toxic to the nervous system and may adversely affect muscle strength. Measurement of hand-grip strength may be useful for detecting neurotoxic exposure. METHODS: The authors studied 3522 participants of the Honolulu Heart Program and the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study to determine whether occupational exposures to pesticides, solvents, and metals assessed at exam I (1965-68) are associated with hand-grip strength at exam IV (1991-93) and change in hand-grip strength over 25 years. Correlation, analysis of variance and covariance, and linear regression were used to evaluate the associations. RESULTS: At exam IV, participants ranged in age from 71-93 years; mean hand-grip strength was 39.6 kg at exam I and 30.3 kg at exam IV. Over 25 years, the decline in hand-grip strength was an average of 8-9 kg for all exposures. Hand-grip strength was inversely associated with age and glucose but directly associated with cognitive function, BMI, and haemoglobin level. No other exposures were associated with hand-grip strength. CONCLUSION: This study did not provide evidence that occupational exposure to pesticides, solvents, and metals adversely affected hand-grip strength in this population, but confirmed other important associations with hand-grip strength. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Epidemiology Insecticides Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Solvents

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• Keywords:
  Mathematical-models Muscle-function Muscles Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Neurological-system Neuromotor-function Neuromotor-system-disorders Organic-solvents Pesticides Risk-analysis Risk-factors Statistical-analysis

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• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Hawaii ; Iowa ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 7 ; OSHA Region 9 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  63
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20031362
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2006 Dec; 63(12):820-827
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr L E Charles, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HELD/BEB, MS L-4050, Morgantown, WV 26505-2888
• Email:
  lcharles@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3df2aa1bbeb21f35217ed0c28bcc1ec02ee7420174a0de40579891ad4a7800dc6b801563e3842d94b89275a4755ec49d509f7cc1696620eff0bf487995d2c46a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191627/cdc_191627_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 188.13 KB ]