title: Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in union ironworkers.
abstract: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms and doctor-diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders (DDMDs) were estimated among union construction ironworkers by a telephone-administered questionnaire. Of 1996 ironworkers eligible, 1566 were contacted and 981 were interviewed. The prevalence of self-reported MSD symptoms was high for the lower back (56%), wrist/hands/fingers (40%), knees (39%), and shoulders (36%). The most common DDMDs were tendonitis (19%), ruptured disk in the back (18%), bursitis in the shoulder (15%), and carpal tunnel syndrome (12%). Generally, the prevalence of DDMDs and MSD symptoms increased with duration of employment. In age-adjusted logistic regression analyses, those who worked 25 to 35 years were more likely to have tendonitis (odds ratio [OR] 7.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.116.6), shoulder bursitis (OR 13.7, 95% CI 3.160.4), knee bursitis (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.025.1), and ruptured intervertebral back disk (OR 6.7, 95% CI 2.617.5). The effect of prior injury was also consistently high (upper extremities, OR 4.6; lower extremities OR 5.1; lower back, OR 6.0). Among workers without prior injuries, MSD symptoms were more frequent for the lower back in structural ironwork (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.12.6), and for the upper extremity in concrete reinforcement ironwork (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.22.9). These findings suggest that some musculoskeletal morbidity in construction ironworkers may be work related and thus preventable.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. mforde@sgu.edu
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Forde
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punnett
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wegman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002062:Bursitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000293:injuries; D007501:Iron; D007750:Labor Unions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008669:Metallurgy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012421:Rupture / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007501:Iron