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Concurrent validity of questions on arm, shoulder and neck symptoms of the RSI QuickScan

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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The objective was to determine the concurrent validity of questions on arm, shoulder and neck symptoms of an Internet-based questionnaire. In addition, the inter-observer reliability of physical examinations by occupational physicians was investigated.

Methods

A total of 160 employees of a Dutch occupational health service were approached, of which 106 participated. Right after the assessment of arm, shoulder and neck symptoms using a self-administered questionnaire, each participant was examined by two occupational physicians. The presence of symptoms in the past 7 days was compared to the physical examinations. The participation of two occupational physicians allowed us to study also the inter-observer reliability.

Results

Overall, the concurrent validity of the symptom questions of the questionnaire can be defined as poor to moderate with κ values between 0.16 and 0.53. Detecting the presence of symptoms (p pos) could be considered as moderately valid with values below 0.60, but the p neg shows that the concurrent validity for detecting the absence of arm, shoulder or neck symptoms can be considered sufficient with values above 0.69. The agreement between occupational physicians can, with a few exceptions, be considered as moderate with κ values below 0.60. The agreement was sufficient for detecting the absence of symptoms (p neg > 0.7).

Conclusions

The agreement between the symptom questions of the questionnaire and physical examinations of occupational physicians can be considered as poor to moderate. The results are comparable to what is generally reported in the literature. Future studies should be aimed at gaining more fundamental knowledge about the possible conceptual differences between self-reported symptoms and symptoms assessed using physical examinations. Moreover, it is advisable to improve the inter-observer reliability of physical examinations as applied in the present study.

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Acknowledgments

Floris Sielcken, Rolf Greeven and Sourena Shirzad are greatly acknowledged for the collection of the data of the present study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, Research Institute MOVE, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Marco J. M. Hoozemans, Erwin M. Speklé & Jaap H. van Dieën

  2. Body@Work, Research Centre on Physical Activity, Work and Health, EMGO Institute, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Marco J. M. Hoozemans, Erwin M. Speklé & Jaap H. van Dieën

  3. Arbo Unie OHS, Daltonlaan 500, 3584 BK, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Erwin M. Speklé

Authors
  1. Marco J. M. Hoozemans
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  2. Erwin M. Speklé
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  3. Jaap H. van Dieën
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marco J. M. Hoozemans.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Actual questions used in the RSI QuickScan questionnaire to assess the prevalence of upper extremity symptoms in the present study.

Appendix 2

Form used to register upper extremity symptoms by the occupational physicians in the physical examinations.

Region

Diagnose

Negative

Positive:

No pain

No disabilities

Positive:

Pain

No disabilities

Positive:

Pain

Disabilities

Specific symptoms

Neck

Cervical radicular syndrome

    

Shoulder

Specific shoulder symptoms

    

Elbow

Lateral epicondylitis

    

Medial epicondylitis

    

Forearm wrist hand

Tenosynovitis/peritendinitis

    

Carpal tunnel syndrome

    
 

Other

    

Nonspecific symptoms

Neck

Nonspecific symptoms

    

Shoulder

Nonspecific symptoms

    

Elbow

Nonspecific symptoms

    

Forearm wrist hand

Nonspecific symptoms

    

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Hoozemans, M.J.M., Speklé, E.M. & van Dieën, J.H. Concurrent validity of questions on arm, shoulder and neck symptoms of the RSI QuickScan. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 86, 789–798 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0809-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0809-x

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