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Occupation and epicondylitis: a population-based study

Occupation and epicondylitis: a population-based study
Occupation and epicondylitis: a population-based study
Objective. To explore the relationship between occupational exposures and lateral and medial epicondylitis,
and the effect of epicondylitis on sickness absence in a population sample of working-aged adults.
Methods. This was a cross-sectional study of 9696 randomly selected adults aged 25?64 years involving
a screening questionnaire and standardized physical examination. Age- and sex-specific prevalence rates
of epicondylitis were estimated and associations with occupational risk factors explored.
Results. Among 6038 respondents, 636 (11%) reported elbow pain in the last week. Of those surveyed,
0.7% were diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis and 0.6% with medial epicondylitis. Lateral epicondylitis
was associated with manual work [odds ratio (OR) 4.0, 95% CI 1.9, 8.4]. In multivariate analyses, repetitive
bending/straightening elbow >1 h day was independently associated with lateral (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2, 5.5)
and medial epicondylitis (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.8, 14.3). Five per cent of adults with epicondylitis took sickness
absence because of their elbow symptoms in the past 12 months (median 29 days).
Conclusion. Repetitive exposure to bending/straightening the elbow was a significant risk factor for
medial and lateral epicondylitis. Epicondylitis is associated with prolonged sickness absence in 5% of
affected working-aged adults.
lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis, epidemiology, occupation, sickness absence
1462-0324
305-310
Walker-Bone, Karen
ad7d1336-ed2c-4f39-ade5-da84eb412109
Palmer, Keith T.
0cfe63f0-1d33-40ff-ae8c-6c33601df850
Reading, Isabel
6f832276-87b7-4a76-a9ed-b4b3df0a3f66
Coggon, David
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Walker-Bone, Karen
ad7d1336-ed2c-4f39-ade5-da84eb412109
Palmer, Keith T.
0cfe63f0-1d33-40ff-ae8c-6c33601df850
Reading, Isabel
6f832276-87b7-4a76-a9ed-b4b3df0a3f66
Coggon, David
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6

Walker-Bone, Karen, Palmer, Keith T., Reading, Isabel, Coggon, David and Cooper, Cyrus (2012) Occupation and epicondylitis: a population-based study. Rheumatology, 51 (2), 305-310. (doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ker228). (PMID:22019808)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective. To explore the relationship between occupational exposures and lateral and medial epicondylitis,
and the effect of epicondylitis on sickness absence in a population sample of working-aged adults.
Methods. This was a cross-sectional study of 9696 randomly selected adults aged 25?64 years involving
a screening questionnaire and standardized physical examination. Age- and sex-specific prevalence rates
of epicondylitis were estimated and associations with occupational risk factors explored.
Results. Among 6038 respondents, 636 (11%) reported elbow pain in the last week. Of those surveyed,
0.7% were diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis and 0.6% with medial epicondylitis. Lateral epicondylitis
was associated with manual work [odds ratio (OR) 4.0, 95% CI 1.9, 8.4]. In multivariate analyses, repetitive
bending/straightening elbow >1 h day was independently associated with lateral (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2, 5.5)
and medial epicondylitis (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.8, 14.3). Five per cent of adults with epicondylitis took sickness
absence because of their elbow symptoms in the past 12 months (median 29 days).
Conclusion. Repetitive exposure to bending/straightening the elbow was a significant risk factor for
medial and lateral epicondylitis. Epicondylitis is associated with prolonged sickness absence in 5% of
affected working-aged adults.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 22 October 2011
Published date: 2012
Keywords: lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis, epidemiology, occupation, sickness absence
Organisations: Primary Care & Population Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 202219
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/202219
ISSN: 1462-0324
PURE UUID: 388f18e5-a4d5-4b51-af6f-da779cc0d741
ORCID for Karen Walker-Bone: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5992-1459
ORCID for Isabel Reading: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1457-6532
ORCID for David Coggon: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1930-3987
ORCID for Cyrus Cooper: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3510-0709

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 03 Nov 2011 15:44
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:51

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Contributors

Author: Keith T. Palmer
Author: Isabel Reading ORCID iD
Author: David Coggon ORCID iD
Author: Cyrus Cooper ORCID iD

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