Analysis of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) using expert ratings of job categories.
BACKGROUND
Few epidemiologic studies have addressed the exposure-response relationships between work activities and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). This analysis used data from a national survey and ergonomists' ratings to address this issue.


METHODS
Interview and knee X-ray data were obtained from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Occupational ratings were obtained using ergonomists. A weighted logistic regression was used.


RESULTS
Among men, a significant exposure-response relationship was found between symptomatic knee OA and kneeling. In both genders, there was a significant trend in heavy lifting and severe symptomatic knee OA. Approximately 20.7% of knee OA can be attributed to kneeling >14% of the workday among men.


CONCLUSIONS
The significant exposure-response relationships suggest that modest reductions in certain occupational activities can reduce the burden of knee OA. The study was limited by unvalidated expert ratings. Research is needed to identify hazardous characteristics of work activities and to clarify exposure-response relationships.
D'Souza
Jennifer C
JC
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Werner
Robert A
RA
Keyserling
W Monroe
WM
Gillespie
Brenda
B
Rabourn
Randall
R
Ulin
Sheryl
S
Franzblau
Alfred
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology