Manufacturing Workers Have a Higher Incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Issue 3 (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Battista, Eric B.; Yedulla, Nikhil R.; Koolmees, Dylan S.; Montgomery, Zachary A.; Ravi, Karthik; Day, Charles S.
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 63:Issue 3(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: carpal tunnel injury -- carpal tunnel syndrome -- clerical worker injury -- labor worker injury -- manufacturing worker injury -- occupational injury -- work-related hand injury -- work-related injuries -- overuse injury; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental health; Medicine, Industrial; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002122
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-2752

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: It is unclear whether clerical or labor-type work is more associated with risk for developing work-related carpal tunnel syndrome (WrCTS). Methods: National employment, demographic, and injury data were examined from the Bureau of Labor Statistics databases for the years 2003 to 2018. Injuries for clerical and labor industries were compared using linear regression, two-group t test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis. Results: WrCTS injuries are decreasing over time ( B = –1002.62, P < 0.001). The labor industry demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of WrCTS when compared with the clerical industries ( P < 0.001). Within labor industries, the manufacturing industry had the highest incidence of WrCTS over time ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study showed WrCTS injuries have declined over time. Additionally, our findings may suggest that the labor industry has a stronger association with WrCTS than the clerical industry.