Using job-title-based physical exposures From O*NET in an epidemiological study of carpal tunnel syndrome

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dale, Ann M. ; Evanoff B ; Franzblau, Alfred ; Zeringue A
• Description:
  Objective: We studied associations between job-title-based measures of force and repetition and incident carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Background: Job exposure matrices (JEMs) are not commonly used in studies of work-related upper-extremity disorders. Method: We enrolled newly hired workers in a prospective cohort study. We assigned a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code to each job held and extracted physical work exposure variables from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). CTS case definition required both characteristic symptoms and abnormal median nerve conduction. Results: Of 1,107 workers, 751 (67.8%) completed follow-up evaluations. A total of 31 respondents (4.4%) developed CTS during an average of 3.3 years of follow-up. Repetitive motion, static strength, and dynamic strength from the most recent job held were all significant predictors of CTS when included individually as physical exposures in models adjusting for age, gender, and BMI. Similar results were found using time-weighted exposure across all jobs held during the study. Repetitive motion, static strength, and dynamic strength were correlated, precluding meaningful analysis of their independent effects. Conclusion: This study found strong relationships between workplace physical exposures assessed via a JEM and CTS, after adjusting for age, gender, and BMI. Though job-title-based exposures are likely to result in significant exposure misclassification, they can be useful for large population studies where more precise exposure data are not available. Application: JEMs can be used as a measure of workplace physical exposures for some studies of musculoskeletal disorders. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Epidemiology Ergonomics Men Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Women

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• Keywords:
  Age-groups Analytical-processes Author Keywords: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal-tunnel-syndrome Exposure-levels Humans Job Exposure Matrix Models O*NET Physical-fitness Physiological-effects Physiology Prospective Cohort Study Repetitive-work Risk-factors Statistical-analysis Workers

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• ISSN:
  0018-7208
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; Missouri ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  166-177
• Volume:
  56
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043072
• Citation:
  Hum Factors 2014 Feb; 56(1):166-177
• Contact Point Address:
  Bradley Evanoff, Division of General Medical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8005, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
• Email:
  bevanoff@dom.wustl.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  Washington University - St. Louis, Missouri
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20040601
• Source Full Name:
  Human Factors
• End Date:
  20151231
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8961fc221b75b01bc8a66f367669cfced6b98cacb7704093fbb885d2a1d0751e7d3dddce550aa527e3a0a0ddc57bcd3bcb1bb6ae513f064c9ac1566f53b16873
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/195090/cdc_195090_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 448.02 KB ]