Magnitude of Occupationally-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders - Fundamentals and Assessment Tools for Occupational Ergonomics - page 26

TABLE 2.6 Summary of Epidemiologic Studies: Psychosocial Risk Factors and Work-Related Upper Extremity

Disorders

Risk Estimate

Null Association a Positive Association Attributable Fraction (%)

Work-Related Risk Factor n Range n Range n Range

Forearm
High job demands

Wrist /

4 1.2-1.4 5 1.6-2.3 4 37-56

Low decision latitude; low control
and low stimulus from work

8 1.0-1.7 3 1.6-6.3 3 37-84

Low social support 4 — 3 1.4-2.1 3 28-52

Low job satisfaction 4 1.4 0 — — —

High perceived stress 1 1.5 3 — — —

Few rest break opportunities 5 2.7 2 1.5 1 33

Low support nonwork-related 4 — 0 — — —

Worry, tension, psychological
distress, nonwork-related

0 — 2 2.3-3.4 2 56-71

Shoulder / Upper Arm
High job demands 6 1.1 6 1.5-1.9 3 33-47

Low decision latitude; low control
and low stimulus from work

8 1.1 6 1.6-1.9 3 37-47

Low social support 7 1.2 5 — — —

Low job satisfaction 2 — 0 — — —

High perceived job stress 3 1.5 3 — — —

Few rest break opportunities 3 — 1 3.3 1 70

Low support nonwork-related 3 — 0 — — —

Worry, tension, psychological
distress, nonwork-related

1 — 1 4.8 — 79

Arm
High job demands

Elbow /

3 1.1 6 2.0-2.4 2 50-58

Low decision latitude; low control
and low stimulus from work

5 1.0-3.0 1 2.8 1 64

Low social support 5 1.2-1.7 0 — — —

Low job satisfaction 2 — 0 — — —

High perceived job stress 1 1.4 2 2.0 1 50

Few rest break opportunities 1 — 1 3.1 1 67

Low support nonwork-related 1 — 0 — — —

Worry, tension, psychological
distress, nonwork-related

0 — 1 1.4-1.8 1 28-44

All Upper Extremity
High job demands

6 1.1-1.4 10 1.5-2.4 6 33-58

Low decision latitude; low control
and low stimulus from work

10 1.1-1.7 6 1.6-2.8 4 37-64

Low social support 7 1.2 7 1.4-2.1 3 28-52

Low job satisfaction 4 1.1-1.4 0 — — —

High perceived job stress 2 1.4 5 2.0 1 50

Few rest break opportunities 3 1.4-1.5 3 1.5-3.3 2 33-70

Low support nonwork-related 3 — 0 — — —

Worry, tension, psychological
distress, nonwork-related

1 — 3 1.4-4.8 3 28-79

Notes: n ¼ number of associations presented in epidemiologic studies. Details on studies are found in Appendix Table 2.9.
a Confidence intervals of the risk estimates included the null estimate (1.0). The magnitude of the risk estimate often was
not presented.
Source: Reprinted with permission from NACS (Musculoskeletal Disorders and the workplace. Low Back and Upper
Extremities # 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences, Courtesy of the National Academics Press, Washington, D.C.)