title: Impact of Work Organizational Factors on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Epicondylitis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to identify relationships between work organizational variables (job rotation, overtime work, having a second job, and work pacing) (These work organizational variables and their relationships with biomechanical and psychosocial exposures were studied previously and published in a separate paper.) and health outcome measures [carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), lateral and medial epicondylitis (LEPI/MEPI)].
  
  
  
  Using a pooled baseline cohort of 1834 subjects, the relationships were studied using logistic regression models.
  
  
  
  Varied degrees of associations between the work organizational and outcomes variables were found. Job rotation was significantly associated with being a CTS case [odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.00 to 1.50]. Overtime work was significantly associated with lower LEPI prevalence (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.84). No statistically significant associations were found between having a second job and different work pacing and any of the three health outcome measures.
  
  
  
  Work organizational variables were only partially associated with the studied health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Olympia (Drs Bao, Silverstein, Marcum); Department of Occupational Science & Technology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Drs Kapellusch, Garg, Tang); Department of Mechanical Engineering (Dr Merryweather), and Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (RMCOEH), University of Utah, Salt Lake City (Drs Thiese, Hegmann).
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Jay M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kapellusch
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Merryweather
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Thiese
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Kurt T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Hegmann
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Silverstein
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Marcum
authors.forename: Ruoliang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016526:Workload; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration