The relative contribution of work exposure, leisure time exposure, and individual characteristics in the onset of arm-wrist-hand and neck-shoulder symptoms among office workers.

Purpose: To identify the risk factors for the onset of arm-wrist-hand and neck-shoulder symptoms among office workers and to estimate the relative contribution of these risk factors by calculating Population Attributable Fractions (PAFs).

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among 1951 office workers with a follow-up duration of 2 years. Data on self-reported risk factors were collected at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up.

Software-recorded and self-reported duration of computer use in relation to the onset of severe arm-wrist-hand pain and neck-shoulder pain.

Objectives: In both science and media, the adverse effects of a long duration of computer use at work on musculoskeletal health have long been debated. Until recently, the duration of computer use was mainly measured by self-reports, and studies using more objective measures, such as software-recorded computer duration, were lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the association between duration of computer use at work, measured with software and self-reports, and the onset of severe arm-wrist-hand and neck-shoulder symptoms.

Test-retest reliability and validity of self-reported duration of computer use at work.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the test-retest reliability and the validity of self-reported duration of computer use at work.

Methods: Test-retest reliability was studied among 81 employees of a research department of a university medical center. The employees filled out a web-based questionnaire twice with an in-between period of 14 days.

Test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of a web-based questionnaire measuring workstation and individual correlates of work postures during computer work.

Introduction: "Ergonomic" questionnaires are widely used in epidemiological field studies to study the association between workstation characteristics, work posture and musculoskeletal disorders among office workers. Findings have been inconsistent regarding the putative adverse effect of work postures. Underestimation of the true association might be present in studies due to misclassification of subjects to risk (i.

Loss of productivity due to neck/shoulder symptoms and hand/arm symptoms: results from the PROMO-study.

Introduction: The objective of the present study is to describe the extent of productivity loss among computer workers with neck/shoulder symptoms and hand/arm symptoms, and to examine associations between pain intensity, various physical and psychosocial factors and productivity loss in computer workers with neck/shoulder and hand/arm symptoms.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used. The study population consisted of 654 computer workers with neck/shoulder or hand/arm symptoms from five different companies.

Prospective research on musculoskeletal disorders in office workers (PROMO): study protocol.

Background: This article describes the background and study design of the PROMO study (Prospective Research on Musculoskeletal disorders in Office workers). Few longitudinal studies have been performed to investigate the risk factors responsible for the incidence of hand, arm, shoulder and neck symptoms among office workers, given the observation that a large group of office workers might be at risk worldwide. Therefore, the PROMO study was designed.