Upper extremity pain and computer use among engineering graduate students: a replication study.
BACKGROUND
Recent literature identified upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms at a prevalence of >40% in college populations. The study objectives were to determine weekly computer use and the prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms in a graduate student population, and make comparisons with previous graduate and undergraduate cohorts.


METHODS
One hundred sixty-six graduate students completed a survey on computing and musculoskeletal health. Associations between individual factors and symptom status, functional limitations, academic impact, medication use, and health services utilization were determined. Logistic regression analyses evaluated the association between symptom status and computing. Cross-study comparisons were made.


RESULTS
More symptomatic participants experienced functional limitations than asymptomatic participants (74% vs. 32%, P < 0.001) and reported medication use for computing pain (34% vs. 10%, P < 0.01). More participants who experienced symptoms within an hour of computing used health services compared to those who experienced symptoms after an hour of computer use (60% vs. 12%, P < 0.01). Years of computer use (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.05-2.40) and number of years in school where weekly computer use was more than 10 hr (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.04-2.35) were associated with pain within an hour of computing. Cross-study comparisons found college populations more similar than different.


CONCLUSIONS
The overall findings reinforced previous literature documenting the prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms in college populations, suggesting an important population for participating in public health interventions designed to support healthy computing practices and identify risk factors important to evaluate in future cohort studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:113-123, 2009. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Menéndez
Cammie Chaumont
CC
The University of Texas School of Public Health, Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Houston, Texas. cmenendez@cdc.gov
Amick
Benjamin C
BC
Jenkins
Mark
M
Caroom
Cyrus
C
Robertson
Michelle
M
Harrist
Ronald B
RB
Katz
Jeffrey N
JN
D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004500:Education, Graduate; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000293:injuries*; D014584:User-Computer Interface