title: Associations between workplace factors and carpal tunnel syndrome: A multi-site cross sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few large epidemiologic studies have used rigorous case criteria, individual-level exposure measurements, and appropriate control for confounders to examine associations between workplace psychosocial and biomechanical factors and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pooling data from five independent research studies, we assessed associations between prevalent CTS and personal, work psychosocial, and biomechanical factors while adjusting for confounders using multivariable logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalent CTS was associated with personal factors of older age, obesity, female sex, medical conditions, previous distal upper extremity disorders, workplace measures of peak forceful hand activity, a composite measure of force and repetition (ACGIH Threshold Limit Value for Hand Activity Level), and hand vibration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cross-sectional analysis of production and service workers, CTS prevalence was associated with workplace and biomechanical factors. The findings were similar to those from a prospective analysis of the same cohort with differences that may be due to recall bias and other factors.
authors.affiliation: Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Olympia, Washington.
authors.forename: Z Joyce
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Carisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris-Adamson
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerr
authors.forename: Ellen A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: Kurt T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Hegmann
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Silverstein
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Evanoff
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Thiese
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kapellusch
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burt
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Merlino
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rempel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D034941:Upper Extremity; D014732:Vibration; D016526:Workload; D017132:Workplace
keywords: confounders; individual-level assessment; musculoskeletal disorders; physical work-load; workers