OCCUPATIONAL UPPER EXTREMITY SYMPTOMS IN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS -PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF PAIN, FUNCTION, AND WORK DISABILITY

The interactive role of work demands, occupational stressors, and ergo nomic risk factors in work-related upper extremity (UE) disorders rema ins unclear: Professional sign language interpreting, which involves e xposure of the upper limbs to a combination of potential ergonomic and psychosocial stressors represents a unique occupational group to inve stigate the multivariate nature of UE disorders. The present study rep orts data on the prevalence, patterns of symptoms, associated medical problems, and health care related to upper extremity disorders in sign language interpreters. The contribution of work demands, work style, and psychosocial stressors to the occurrence of self-reported function , pain, muscle tension, and work disability was also studied. A group of 1398 sign language interpreters completed an 83-item national surve y on occupational musculoskeletal health (response rate of 58%). Inter preters were asked a series of demographic, workstyle, work environmen t, medical care, and symptom-related questions. Logistic regression, m ultivariate regression, and discriminant function analyses were used t o examine the data. A large percentage of interpreters reported sympto ms in the neck region (73.6%) followed by the hand/wrist (69.6%). Usin g a NIOSH case definition for work-relatedness, prevalence rates varie d from 16% to 32% depending upon the anatomic location Medical care wa s primarily sought within the first month of symptoms (21.9%) and nons teroidal antiinflammatory drugs were the most frequently used treatmen t (70.3%). A multivariate logistic regression indicated that female ge nder number of years worked pressure at work, fear of developing pain, tendency to work in pain to insure work quality, and increased wrist deviations from neutral were associated with case status. Impact on fu nction, pain, and perceived muscle tension at work were all primarily associated with tendency to work in a painful way to insure work quali ty and fear of developing a pain problem. Time off work was also assoc iated with these variables as well as with the lack of an opportunity to use one's initiative. Results indicate that upper extremity symptom s are prevalent in this work group and that a combination of work dema nds, workstyle, and psychosocial stressors are associated with case st atus and the exacerbation of pain, muscular tension functional limitat ions, and work disability.