title: Personal and workplace factors and median nerve function in a pooled study of 2396 US workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate associations between personal and workplace factors and median nerve conduction latency at the wrist.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline data on workplace psychosocial and physical exposures were pooled from four prospective studies of production and service workers (N = 2396). During the follow-up period, electrophysiologic measures of median nerve function were collected at regular intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant adjusted associations were observed between age, body mass index, sex, peak hand force, duration of forceful hand exertions, Threshold Limit Value for Hand Activity Limit, forceful repetition rate, wrist extension, and decision latitude on median nerve latencies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational and nonoccupational factors have adverse effects on median nerve function. Measuring median nerve function eliminates possible reporting bias that may affect symptom-based carpal tunnel syndrome case definitions. These results suggest that previously observed associations between carpal tunnel syndrome and occupational factors are not the result of such reporting bias.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (Drs Rempel and Harris-Adamson), University of California at San Francisco; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health (Dr Gerr and Ms Merlino), College of Public Health, University of Iowa; the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (Drs Hegmann and Thiese), University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Department of Occupational Science and Technology (Drs Kapellusch and Garg), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Dr Burt), Cincinnati, Ohio; the Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention Program (Drs Bao and Silverstein), Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Olympia; and the Division of General Medical Science (Drs Dale and Evanoff), Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rempel
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerr
authors.forename: Carisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris-Adamson
authors.forename: Kurt T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Hegmann
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Thiese
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kapellusch
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burt
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Silverstein
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Merlino
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Evanoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology; D014953:Wrist / Q000502:physiology