Prevalence and risk factors of self-reported wrist and hand symptoms and clinically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome among office workers in China: a cross-sectional study.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968562 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2458 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14712458 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome*/diagnosis ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome*/epidemiology ; Occupational Diseases*/diagnosis ; Occupational Diseases*/epidemiology; Adolescent ; Adult ; China/epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Self Report ; Wrist ; Young Adult

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common cause of pain, numbness and tingling in the wrist and hand region and is associated with repetitive wrist and hand use in office workers. However, scarce knowledge exists about the epidemiology of clinically confirmed CTS among Chinese office workers. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of wrist/hand symptoms and CTS in office workers in China and to identify associated risk factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in a metropolitan city in China involving 969 respondents (aged 17-49 years) from 30 workplaces. A questionnaire was distributed to each participant to collect their demographic, work-related physical and psychosocial factors, and wrist and hand symptoms. The wrist and hand pain/numbness symptoms were marked on a body chart and the nature and intensity of symptoms, nocturnal symptoms, as well as aggravating activities were also recorded. Clinically confirmed CTS cases were screened based on the history, Phalen's test, Tinel Sign and skin sensation testing among symptomatic respondents. Logistic regression was employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for the occurrence of self-reported wrist and hand symptoms and clinically confirmed CTS.
Results: The clinically confirmed CTS prevalence was 9.6%. The prevalence of wrist and hand symptoms were 22 and 15%, respectively. Frequently working in pain was associated with higher odds of CTS. Multivariate modelling adjusted for age and gender showed that prolonged computer use time and working without breaks were associated with presence of wrist/hand symptoms (adjusted ORs: 1.11 (95% CI 1.02-1.22) and 1.88 (95% CI 1.12-3.14)). Educational level was inversely associated with CTS and smoking was associated with wrist/hand complaints (adjusted OR: 2.20 (95% CI 1.19-4.07)).
Conclusions: The prevalence of work-related clinically confirmed CTS symptoms among young office workers in China is high. Frequently working in pain is closely associated with clinically confirmed CTS. Intense computer use and no breaks at work are associated with wrist and hand symptoms.

Saf Health Work. 2019 Mar;10(1):3-20. (PMID: 30949376)
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Oct 23;10:CD008570. (PMID: 30350850)
Occup Environ Med. 2015 Jan;72(1):33-41. (PMID: 25324489)
Soc Sci Med. 2020 Feb;246:112774. (PMID: 31923837)
Scand J Work Environ Health. 2016 Jul 1;42(4):280-90. (PMID: 27159901)
JAMA. 1999 Jul 14;282(2):153-8. (PMID: 10411196)
J Clin Neurophysiol. 2005 Jun;22(3):216-21. (PMID: 15933495)
Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo). 2014;54(5):395-400. (PMID: 24257492)
J Occup Health. 2012;54(1):34-43. (PMID: 22156322)
J Affect Disord. 2020 Dec 1;277:747-754. (PMID: 32919296)
Clin Neurophysiol. 2011 Oct;122(10):2067-70. (PMID: 21454124)
Work. 2015;51(3):411-21. (PMID: 24939110)
Microsurgery. 2011 Jan;31(1):59-65. (PMID: 21207501)
Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2017 Oct;90(7):673-683. (PMID: 28528354)
Muscle Nerve. 2004 Apr;29(4):515-22. (PMID: 15052616)
Work. 2006;26(4):399-406. (PMID: 16788259)
Occup Environ Med. 2019 Jul;76(7):502-509. (PMID: 30894425)
Arch Intern Med. 2011 May 23;171(10):943-4. (PMID: 21606100)
Muscle Nerve. 2019 Sep;60(3):299-304. (PMID: 31271456)
Brain Behav. 2019 Jul;9(7):e01342. (PMID: 31210031)
BMJ Open. 2014 Dec 19;4(12):e006451. (PMID: 25526795)
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2008 Oct 06;9:134. (PMID: 18838001)
Scand J Work Environ Health. 1992 Dec;18(6):337-45. (PMID: 1485158)
Ergonomics. 1999 Oct;42(10):1350-60. (PMID: 10582504)
Ann Rheum Dis. 2003 Jan;62(1):33-6. (PMID: 12480666)
Ann Occup Environ Med. 2019 Nov 07;31:e31. (PMID: 31737286)
Scand J Work Environ Health. 2020 Jan 1;46(1):43-49. (PMID: 31168633)
Occup Environ Med. 2019 Aug;76(8):519-526. (PMID: 31189693)
Obes Rev. 2015 Dec;16(12):1094-104. (PMID: 26395787)
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015 Sep 01;16:231. (PMID: 26323649)
J Neurol Sci. 2015 Feb 15;349(1-2):15-9. (PMID: 25582979)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 May 23;16(10):. (PMID: 31126060)
BMC Res Notes. 2012 Jun 13;5:289. (PMID: 22695029)
Scand J Work Environ Health. 2013 Jul;39(4):379-89. (PMID: 23377125)
Muscle Nerve. 1994 Jun;17(6):632-6. (PMID: 8196706)
BMJ Open. 2017 Apr 11;7(4):e014914. (PMID: 28404613)
Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Jun;29(3):440-53. (PMID: 26612240)
Neurology. 2002 Jan 22;58(2):289-94. (PMID: 11805259)
Hum Factors. 2019 Jul 17;:18720819860683. (PMID: 31314601)
Hand (N Y). 2020 Jan 22;:1558944719893048. (PMID: 31965852)
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019 Sep 18;20(1):436. (PMID: 31533791)
Postgrad Med. 2020 Jan;132(1):52-55. (PMID: 31736403)
JAMA. 2003 Jun 11;289(22):2963-9. (PMID: 12799404)

81472155 National Natural Science Foundation of China; H20190116202012724 Guangdong Hopson-Pearl River Education Development Foundation

Keywords: Computer use; Median nerve; Office workplace; Work in pain; Work-related musculoskeletal disorder; Wrist and hand complaint

Date Created: 20210107 Date Completed: 20210514 Latest Revision: 20210514

20231215

PMC7789363

10.1186/s12889-020-10137-1

33407293