Organizational and psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a cross-sectional study of French workers.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to examine the organizational and psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in workers exposed to various levels of work-related constraints, with a special focus on factors related to the work organization.


METHODS
From 3,710 workers, representative of a French region's working population, trained occupational physicians diagnosed a total of 156 cases of CTS between 2002 and 2005. Diagnoses were established by standardized physical examination, while personal factors and work exposure were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. Statistical associations between CTS and personal and work-related factors were analyzed for each gender using logistic regression modeling.


RESULTS
Among the factors related to work organization, working with temporary workers was associated with CTS for women (OR = 1.99, 95 % CI 1.23-3.25), but not for men. Task rotation during the job (OR = 2.45 95 % CI 1.41-4.24) and work pace dependent on quantified targets (OR = 1.93 95 % CI 1.08-3.46) were associated with CTS only for men. The work-related psychosocial factors highlighted by the logistic modeling were high psychological demand for women (OR = 1.90, 95 % CI 1.17-3.09) and low skill discretion (OR = 1.77, 95 % CI 1.01-3.11) for men.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has identified some psychosocial factors and factors related to work organization associated with clinically diagnosed and symptom-only cases of CTS as well as personal and biomechanical factors. However, due to the cross-sectional design of the study, no causal conclusion could be drawn and longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these results.
Laboratoire d'ergonomie et d'épidémiologie en santé au travail (LEEST), LUNAM Université, Université d'Angers, Angers, France.
Pascal
P
Rigouin
Catherine
C
Ha
Julie
J
Bodin
Audrey Petit
AP
Le Manac'h
Alexis
A
Descatha
Marcel
M
Goldberg
Yves
Y
Roquelaure
D000328:Adult; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult