Prevalence Of Upper Limb Disorders Research Articles

Upper limb musculoskeletal disorders associated with computer usage in health-care professionals

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders following heavy computer usage are common and well known and usually affect the upper limb. Health-care professionals are also prone to these disorders; however, the effect on health-care professionals has rarely been reported. Objective: To assess the prevalence of computer-related upper limb musculoskeletal problems among health-care students, as it can significantly affect the patient health care and the health-care system as a whole. Materials and Methods: Four hundred fifty health-care students attached to a tertiary-care hospital were evaluated for computer-associated upper limb musculoskeletal problems using modified Maastricht Upper Extremity Questionnaire (MUEQ) and Revised Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) Questionnaire. Result: Prevalence of upper limb disorders was 45% in the study population. About 35.69% of the total problems were related to neck, 17.44% to shoulder, 19.62% to arm and forearm, 16.08% to wrists, and 11.17% to hands. Overall, Bothersome Index was higher at follow-up when compared with the beginning of study. Conclusion: Upper limb musculoskeletal disorders following heavy computer usage have a large prevalence among health-care professionals, and adequate steps for awareness and treatment of these disorders should be taken to provide better patient care and improve the health-care system.

Prevalence of upper limb disorders among female librarians

Work as a librarian involves exposure to potential risk factors for developing upper limb disorders. The prevalence of upper limb symptoms has, however, not previously been assessed in this occupational group. To estimate the 7-day and annual prevalence of self-reported neck and upper limb symptoms in librarians and to examine associations with specific tasks and ergonomic risk factors. A cross-sectional study using components of the standardized Nordic questionnaire. The study population consisted of librarians employed by a large local authority, and data collection was by means of a self-administered questionnaire. from studies on keyboard workers and on the general population were used as comparators. The 7-day prevalence of self-reported neck and upper limb pain in female librarians was 42% (95% confidence interval (CI) 33.7-50.5) and the annual prevalence was 65% (95% CI 56.6-72.8). The prevalence of reported wrist and hand pain increased with increased working involving a wide thumb-index span (P < 0.05) with a significant linear trend in prevalence with increasing exposure (P < 0.01). There was a strong association between reporting hand and/or wrist pain and awareness of work-related upper limb disorder (P < 0.05). The annual prevalence of self-reported upper limb symptoms among female librarians was high, but there was insufficient evidence to confirm whether the prevalence was higher than in the general population or among keyboard workers. Working with a wide thumb-index span was associated with reporting upper limb symptoms.

Evaluation of Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Loads due to Posture, Repetition, and Force by Rapid Upper Limb Assessment in a Textile Factory

Please cite this paper as: Moussavi Najarkola SA, Mirzaei R. Evaluation of Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Loads due to Posture, Repetition, and Force by Rapid Upper Limb Assessment in a Textile Factory. J Health Scope. 2012:1(1): 18-24. DOI: 10.5812/JHS.4532 Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: This article pays attention to the application of an ergonomic risk factors assessment technique so-called “Rapid Upper Limbs Assessment (RULA)” for evaluation of the upper limb musculoskeletal loads due to posture, repetition and force in textile factory. It introduces a practical topic in ergonomics field that can be useful for ergonomists, occupational hygienists, occupational therapists, industrial designers, physiotherapists, rehabilitation specialists, and anthropologists. 1. Background Musculoskel et al. disorders are among the most prevalent occupational ailments in industrialized and industrializing countries. These disorders are common in industrial jobs requiring awkward postures, repeated motion, and heavy lifting. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) arise when work activities and conditions contribute significantly to their development or exBackground: In the last 15 or 20 years, upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders have been recognized as a cause of major medical problems among industrial workers. Objectives: The aim of this study was conducted to assess risk factors for upper limb musculoskeletal disorders on workers performing various tasks in a textile factory. Ergonomic interventions and solutions may be developed on the basis of the assessment results. Patients and Methods: Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) was used to evaluate upper limb musculoskeletal loads, and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to measure the prevalence of upper limb disorders in workers at the Qaem Shahr textile factory. A target population sample included 566 subjects (404 males [71.4%] aged 23–51 years, mean age 32.9 [SD = 6.3 years]; 161 females [28.6%] aged 21–37 years, mean age 25.6 [SD = 8.6 years]). Results: Prevalence data on disorders to the upper arms, lower arms, wrists, neck, trunk, and legs were obtained in 497 (87.8%), 255 (45.1%), 318 (56.2%), 383 (67.7%), 436 (77%), and 163 (28.8%) workers, respectively. Recommended action as a result of the assessment varied according to prevalence and s verity of the disorders. Tasks involving spinning, direct wrapping, pirn wrapping, Gard machine operating, yarn combing, weaving, and fold counting were revealed to be the most hazardous. The results of the NMQ confirmed the results of the RULA. Conclusions: Preventive measures at the structural, organizational, and personnel levels must be taken for the safety of industrial workers performing tasks categorized as action levels 2–4 in this study. RULA is a useful and practical tool for evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders resulting from working in a textile factory. Copyright c 2012 Kowsar Corp. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author: Seyyed Ali Moussavi Najarkola. Department. of Occupational Health, School of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical (SBMU), Tehran, IR Iran. Tel: +98-2122432040, Fax: +982122432040, E-mail: mosavi58@gmail.com DOI: 10.5812/JHS.4532 Copyright c 2012 Kowsar Corp. All rights reserved. www.SID.ir

Upper limb disorders among coopers in the Scotch whisky industry

Coopering is a physically demanding trade which has existed for >500 years. Anecdotal clinical evidence suggested increased prevalence of upper limb disorders in the population of coopers in one organization. To investigate the prevalence of upper limb disorders in coopers and non-coopers. To identify differences in prevalence, and any relationship between the findings and the work practices. Cross-sectional study of 108 coopers and 110 non-coopers. The Standardized Nordic questionnaire for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms was administered to all participants, who also underwent a clinical assessment for upper limb disorders. Coopers were more likely to report elbow pain in the past 12 months (OR 3.4; 95% CI: 1.8-6.2) and pain in the last 7 days (OR 4.7; 95% CI: 2.0-8.9) and this was likely to lead to prevention of activity in the past 12 months associated with the elbow (P < 0.05). Clinical evaluation highlighted a higher prevalence of upper limb disorders in coopers (OR 9.8; 95% CI: 3.9-24.3) with epicondylitis predominating (OR 8.4; 95% CI: 2.8-25.0). There was also a higher prevalence of problems in the wrist and hand among coopers (OR 8.15; 95% CI: 1.04-64; P = 0.03). Logistic regression analysis confirmed the risk of upper limb disorder in coopers (P < 0.03) accounting for age (P < 0.05) and years of service (P > 0.25). Coopers appear to be at an increased risk of upper limb disorders. Work practices have been reviewed and a number of changes have been implemented to reduce this risk. Further study of this group is merited in future to determine the effect of changes in work practice on the risk of upper limb disorders.

The Ocra Index for Risk Assessment of Wmsds Risk with Repetitive Movements of the Upper Limbs: Further Validation Data

This paper proposes a method for calculating a concise index of exposure to repetitive movements of the upper limbs. The proposal, which is now validated by more studies and applications, is conceptually based on the procedure recommended by the NIOSH for calculating the lifting Index. The OCRA Index in this case is based on the relationship between the daily number of actions performed by the upper limbs in repetitive tasks and the corresponding number of recommended actions, calculated as a function of the presence of risk factors. The new epidemiological studies carried out, quantifying the prevalence of WMSDs and exposure index OCRA in different tasks, confirm a significant association between OCRA and the prevalence of upper limb disorders.