title: Symptoms and clinical findings from the musculoskeletal system among operators at a call centre in Sweden--a 10-month follow-up study.
abstract: The musculoskeletal health among 57 operators at 1 call centre in Sweden was studied with 10 monthly follow-ups, parallel to a reference group of 1,226 professional computer users in other occupations. Operators at this call centre were more symptom-loaded than the other professional computer users in spite of their younger age and shorter exposure to computer work. Symptoms were long-lasting or recurrent. Muscle tenderness and nerve affections in the neck-shoulder region were the most common specific findings and diagnoses at medical examination of incident symptom cases. More extensive studies should be done on the working conditions and health status among call centre workers.
authors.affiliation: Department for Work and Health, National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm, Sweden. allan.toomingas@niwl.se
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toomingas
authors.forename: Tohr
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagberg
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagman
authors.forename: Ewa Wigaeus
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Tornqvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016288:Computer Terminals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013689:Telephone