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Med. Pr. 2009;60(5):359-367
UPPER EXTREMITIES, NECK AND BACK SYMPTOMS IN OFFICE EMPLOYEES WORKING AT COMPUTER STATIONS
DOLEGLIWOŚCI ZE STRONY KOŃCZYN GÓRNYCH, SZYI I PLECÓW U OSÓB WYKONUJĄCYCH PRACĘ BIUROWĄ Z UŻYCIEM KOMPUTERA
Jan E. Zejda1
Joanna Bugajska2
Małgorzata Kowalska1
Łukasz Krzych3
Marzena Mieszkowska2
Grzegorz Brożek1
Bogumiła Braczkowska1

1 Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Katowice, Katedra Epidemiologii
2 Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Warszawa
Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny nr 7, Katowice

Abstract

Background: To obtain current data on the occurrence of work-related symptoms of office computer users in Poland we implemented a questionnaire survey. Its goal was to assess the prevalence and intensity of symptoms of upper extremities, neck and back in office workers who use computers on a regular basis, and to find out if the occurrence of symptoms depends on the duration of computer use and other work-related factors. Material and Methods: Office workers in two towns (Warszawa and Katowice), employed in large social services companies, were invited to fill in the Polish version of Nordic Questionnaire. The questions included work history and history of last-week symptoms of pain of hand/wrist, elbow, arm, neck and upper and lower back (occurrence and intensity measured by visual scale). Altogether 477 men and women returned the completed questionnaires. Between-group symptom differences (chi-square test) were verified by multivariate analysis (GLM). Results: The prevalence of symptoms in individual body parts was as follows: neck, 55.6%; arm, 26.9%; elbow, 13.3%; wrist/hand, 29.9%; upper back, 49.6%; and lower back, 50.1%. Multivariate analysis confirmed the effect of gender, age and years of computer use on the occurrence of symptoms. Among other determinants, forearm support explained pain of wrist/hand, wrist support of elbow pain, and chair adjustment of arm pain. Association was also found between low back pain and chair adjustment and keyboard position. Conclusions: The findings revealed frequent occurrence of symptoms of pain in upper extremities and neck in office workers who use computers on a regular basis. Seating position could also contribute to the frequent occurrence of back pain in the examined population. Med Pr 2009;60(5):359-367

Key words

musculoskeletal diseases, computers, cross-sectional study, questionnaire



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