title: Women performing repetitive work: is there a difference in the prevalence of shoulder pain and pathology in supermarket cashiers compared to the general female population?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Shoulder disorders in the occupational environment have been widely studied, but the quality of research and methodology applied vary. Little has been done to ascertain whether shoulder pain in female repetitive workers is due to any verifiable pathology, or to compare findings with the general population. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the prevalence of self-reported shoulder pain in a group of female supermarket cashiers and in the general female population using a standardized questionnaire. Shoulder pain prevalence was then compared to imaging findings in order to assess specific and non-specific pain prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  196 cashiers and 302 controls filled in a standardized shoulder questionnaire and underwent an imaging examination of a shoulder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of shoulder pain was significantly higher in the group of cashiers (46.4%) than in the general population (25.5%) (OR = 1.821; 95% CI: 1.426-2.325). Specific pain prevalence was higher among the controls (19.5%) than among the cashiers (13.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The more frequent reports of shoulder pain in the supermarket cashiers are not correlated with a higher prevalence of imaging abnormalities. The causes of these more frequent complaints should be probably sought in the psycho-social and occupational environment.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Department, University of Milan, Milan, Italy, valerio.sansone@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sansone
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonora
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boria
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meroni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003132:Commerce; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires