Dose-Response Relationship between Hand-Arm Vibration Exposure and Musculoskeletal Disorders of Upper Extremities: A Case-Control Study among German Workers
Yi Sun,
Frank Bochmann,
Winfried Eckert,
Benjamin Ernst,
Uwe Kaulbars,
Uwe Nigmann,
Nastaran Raffler,
Christina Samel,
Christian van den Berg
Affiliations
Yi Sun
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
Frank Bochmann
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
Winfried Eckert
Institution for the Building Trade, German Social Accident Insurance, 71032 Boeblingen, Germany
Benjamin Ernst
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
Uwe Kaulbars
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
Uwe Nigmann
Institution for the Woodworking and Metalworking Industries, German Social Accident Insurance, 40472 Dusseldorf, Germany
Nastaran Raffler
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
Christina Samel
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
Christian van den Berg
Institution for the Raw Materials and Chemical Industry, German Social Accident Insurance, 44789 Bochum, Germany
In an epidemiological case-control study, exposure-response relationship between hand-arm vibration exposure and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremities were examined among 209 male cases and 614 controls in the German construction, mining, metal, and wood-working industries. To quantify individual vibration exposures, a database of industrial hygiene measurements of over 700 power tools was established. In addition, individual work histories were collected in detail. The dose-response relationships between hand-arm vibration exposure and the risk of MSDs were quantified based on multivariable logistic regression analysis. After adjusting for relevant confounders, statistically significant dose-response relationships between cumulative hand-arm vibration exposure doses and MSDs of the upper extremities could be established.
