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Organizational and psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a cross-sectional study of French workers

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to examine the organizational and psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in workers exposed to various levels of work-related constraints, with a special focus on factors related to the work organization.

Methods

From 3,710 workers, representative of a French region’s working population, trained occupational physicians diagnosed a total of 156 cases of CTS between 2002 and 2005. Diagnoses were established by standardized physical examination, while personal factors and work exposure were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. Statistical associations between CTS and personal and work-related factors were analyzed for each gender using logistic regression modeling.

Results

Among the factors related to work organization, working with temporary workers was associated with CTS for women (OR = 1.99, 95 % CI 1.23–3.25), but not for men. Task rotation during the job (OR = 2.45 95 % CI 1.41–4.24) and work pace dependent on quantified targets (OR = 1.93 95 % CI 1.08–3.46) were associated with CTS only for men. The work-related psychosocial factors highlighted by the logistic modeling were high psychological demand for women (OR = 1.90, 95 % CI 1.17–3.09) and low skill discretion (OR = 1.77, 95 % CI 1.01–3.11) for men.

Conclusion

This study has identified some psychosocial factors and factors related to work organization associated with clinically diagnosed and symptom-only cases of CTS as well as personal and biomechanical factors. However, due to the cross-sectional design of the study, no causal conclusion could be drawn and longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these results.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by grants from the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, Saint-Maurice, France (Grant 9/25/2002-5 “Réseau expérimental de surveillance des troubles musculo-squelettiques”) and the French National Research Agency (ANR-grant SEST-06-36). We thank the occupational physicians involved in the sentinel network: Doctors Abonnat, Adam, Addou, Agullo, Ansaloni, Aubrun, Banon, Bardet, Barraya, Beaurepaire, Becquemie, Berthelot, Bertin, Bertrand, Bidron, Biton, Biziou-Fouere, Bizouarne, Boisse, Bonamy, Bonneau, Bouchet, Bouguer, Bourrut-Lacouture, Bourven, Bradane, Breton, Bricaud, Caillon, Camer, Cesbron, Chabot, Charlon, Chevalier, Chisacof, Chotard, Clement dit Pontieu, Compain, Coquin-Georgeac, Cordes, Cormier, Couet, Coutand, Da Costa, Dachert, Dadourian, Danielou, Darcy, Davenas, De Lansalut, De Lescure, Diquelou, Dopsent, Dubois, Dufrenne-Benetti, Dupas, Durand, Durand-Perdriel, Evano, Fache, Faline, Fontaine, Fosse, Frampas-Chotard, François, Garrabe, Gasseau, Giffard, Girard, Girardin, Guerin, Guessard, Guillaumin, Guillier, Guillimin, Guinel, Harinte, Harrigan, Hefti, Herrouet, Herson, Hervio, Hirigoyen, Houssin, Husquin, Jahan, Jarry, Jube, Kalfon, Kergresse, Khouri, Krai, Labraga, Laine, Laine-Colin, Lamotte, Lasnier, Laventure, Le Clerc, Le Dizet, Le Mauff, Lechevalier, Lecompte, Ledenvic, Leroux, Leroy-Maguer, Levrard, Levy, Ligeard, Logeay, Louineau, Lourtis, Lucas, Maeker, Maison, Mallet, Marquiset, Martin, Martin-Laurent, Mazoyer, Meritet, Meyer, Michel MC, Michel R, Migne-Cousseau, Moisan, Morvan, Mouchet, Moui, Nivet, Page, Parrot, Patillot, Perou, Pierfitte, Pinaud, Pineau, Pizzalla, Plessis, Plouhinec, Pocreaux, Prod’homme, Puichaud, Quince, Rabjeau, Raffray, Riberot, Riou, Robin, Robin-Riom, Roesch, Rouault, Roussel, Roux, Russu, Saboureault, Schlindwein, Soulard, Souvre-Debray, Spiesser, Thomas, Thomasset, Thomson, Tillette, Treillard, Tripodi, Verrier, Voisin.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’ergonomie et d’épidémiologie en santé au travail (LEEST), LUNAM Université, Université d’Angers, Angers, France

    Pascal Rigouin, Julie Bodin, Audrey Petit Le Manac’h & Yves Roquelaure

  2. Département santé travail, Institut de veille sanitaire (DST-InVS), Saint-Maurice, France

    Catherine Ha

  3. CHU Angers, Angers, France

    Audrey Petit Le Manac’h & Yves Roquelaure

  4. Inserm, Centre de recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université de Versailles St-Quentin, UMRS 1018, Villejuif, France

    Alexis Descatha & Marcel Goldberg

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  1. Pascal Rigouin
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  2. Catherine Ha
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  3. Julie Bodin
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  4. Audrey Petit Le Manac’h
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  7. Yves Roquelaure
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Correspondence to Julie Bodin.

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Rigouin, P., Ha, C., Bodin, J. et al. Organizational and psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a cross-sectional study of French workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 87, 147–154 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-013-0846-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-013-0846-0

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