title: Analysis of occupational stress in a high fashion clothing factory with upper limb biomechanical overload.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study job stress and upper limb biomechanical overload due to repetitive and forceful manual activities in a factory producing high fashion clothing.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 518 workers (433 women and 85 men) were investigated to determine anxiety, occupational stress (using the Italian version of the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire) and perception of symptoms (using the Italian version of the Somatization scale of Symptom Checklist SCL-90). Biomechanical overload was analyzed using the OCRA Check list.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biomechanical assessment did not reveal high-risk jobs, except for cutting. Although the perception of anxiety and job insecurity was within the normal range, all the workers showed a high level of job strain (correlated with the perception of symptoms) due to very low decision latitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational stress resulted partially in line with biomechanical risk factors; however, the perception of low decision latitude seems to play a major role in determining job strain. Interactions between physical and psychological factors cannot be demonstrated. Anyway, simultaneous long-term monitoring of occupational stress features and biomechanical overload could guide workplace interventions aimed at reducing the risk of adverse health effects.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Health Unit, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forcella
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonfiglioli
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cutilli
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siciliano
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Donato
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Nicola
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonucci
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Giampaolo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boscolo
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Violante
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D057189:Checklist; D003020:Clothing; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D034941:Upper Extremity