title: General population job exposure matrix applied to a pooled study of prevalent carpal tunnel syndrome.
abstract: A job exposure matrix may be useful for the study of biomechanical workplace risk factors when individual-level exposure data are unavailable. We used job title-based exposure data from a public data source to construct a job exposure matrix and test exposure-response relationships with prevalent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Exposures of repetitive motion and force from the Occupational Information Network were assigned to 3,452 active workers from several industries, enrolled between 2001 and 2008 from 6 studies. Repetitive motion and force exposures were combined into high/high, high/low, and low/low exposure groupings in each of 4 multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for personal factors. Although force measures alone were not independent predictors of CTS in these data, strong associations between combined physical exposures of force and repetition and CTS were observed in all models. Consistent with previous literature, this report shows that workers with high force/high repetition jobs had the highest prevalence of CTS (odds ratio = 2.14-2.95) followed by intermediate values (odds ratio = 1.09-2.27) in mixed exposed jobs relative to the lowest exposed workers. This study supports the use of a general population job exposure matrix to estimate workplace physical exposures in epidemiologic studies of musculoskeletal disorders when measures of individual exposures are unavailable.
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: Angelique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeringue
authors.forename: Carisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris-Adamson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rempel
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Thiese
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Merlino
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burt
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kapellusch
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerr
authors.forename: Kurt T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Hegmann
authors.forename: Ellen A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Evanoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D009790:Occupations; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: O*NET; cross-sectional study; ergonomics; general worker population; job exposure matrix; musculoskeletal disorders; pooled study; upper extremity