title: Daily computer usage correlated with undergraduate students' musculoskeletal symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A pilot prospective study was performed to examine the relationships between daily computer usage time and musculoskeletal symptoms on undergraduate students.
  
  
  METHODS
  For three separate 1-week study periods distributed over a semester, 27 students reported body part-specific musculoskeletal symptoms three to five times daily. Daily computer usage time for the 24-hr period preceding each symptom report was calculated from computer input device activities measured directly by software loaded on each participant's primary computer. General Estimating Equation models tested the relationships between daily computer usage and symptom reporting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Daily computer usage longer than 3 hr was significantly associated with an odds ratio 1.50 (1.01-2.25) of reporting symptoms. Odds of reporting symptoms also increased with quartiles of daily exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest a potential dose-response relationship between daily computer usage time and musculoskeletal symptoms.
authors: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Che-Hsu Joe
authors: CH
authors: Chang
authors: Benjamin C
authors: BC
authors: Amick
authors: Cammie Chaumont
authors: CC
authors: Menendez
authors: Jeffrey N
authors: JN
authors: Katz
authors: Peter W
authors: PW
authors: Johnson
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Robertson
authors: Jack Tigh
authors: JT
authors: Dennerlein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm; D016287:Computer Peripherals; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data