title: Physical capacity and psychological mood in association with self-reported work ability in vibration-exposed patients with hand symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether self-reports of work ability correlated to the results of quantitative tests measuring physical capacity and a questionnaire assessing psychological mood in vibration-exposed patients with hand symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants comprised 47 patients (36 men and eleven women) with exposure to hand vibration and vascular and/or neurological symptoms in the hands. They performed several quantitative tests (manual dexterity, hand grip strength, finger strength) and completed the Work Ability Index (WAI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant associations between the WAI results, the HADS indices, hand grip and finger strength, and manual dexterity measured using the Purdue Pegboard®. Multiple regression analysis revealed age and HADS indices as the strongest predictors of work ability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patient's age and psychological mood may be stronger predictors of work ability compared with results from tests measuring physical capacity of the hands in vibration-exposed patients with hand symptoms. When using the WAI as an instrument for assessing work ability in these patients, health care providers need to be more aware of the impact of the psychological mood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. maria.edlund@amm.gu.se.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edlund
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerhardsson
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagberg