An invisible disability: Qualitative research on upper extremity disorders in a university community.

Objectives: To understand how upper extremity disorders related to computer use affect graduate and undergraduate university students; and, to develop hypotheses for prevention and management of these disorders.

Methods: Focus group discussions concerning upper extremity disorders were conducted among sixteen symptomatic undergraduate and graduate students at a private university in the US. Discussions were tape recorded, transcribed, coded for themes, and analyzed qualitatively.

Assessment of upper extremity role functioning in students.

Background: Upper extremity symptoms associated with use of computers and other upper extremity activities are common in students. Research on these disorders requires psychometrically sound measures of health-related student role function; no such measure is available currently.

Methods: Based upon input from students and clinicians, we developed a 10-item scale to measure student health-related role function.