PREVALENCE OF UPPER EXTREMITY SYMPTOMS AND POSSIBLE RISK-FACTORS IN WORKERS HANDLING PAPER CURRENCY

The prevalence of upper extremity symptoms in the workforce is high, p articularly in industries characterized by forceful, repetitive or awk ward movements. A study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of upp er extremity symptoms in bank workers in a paper currency processing o peration and to examine the role of possible risk factors for these co mplaints. Thirty-nine workers of a total workforce of 47 were assessed with a questionnaire and physical examination. The questionnaire coll ected information about demographics, health status, symptom reporting , psychosocial work stressors and other work exposure characteristics. Overall, 59% of the workers reported having significant work-related upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms in the preceding year, includ ing 49% with neck and shoulder symptoms and 49% with arm and wrist sym ptoms. In this study the key predictive factor for upper extremity mus culoskeletal symptoms was psychological job demands. The workers had s imilar ergonomic stressors (with little gradient of exposure) and ther efore our results do not contradict the importance of ergonomic factor s in the development of upper extremity symptoms. However, the results do suggest that within a group exposed to similar ergonomic stressors , psychological job demands may be an important factor associated with musculoskeletal symptoms.