Upper extremity disorders in heavy industry workers in Greece

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

AIM: To investigate the disability due to musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities in heavy industry workers. METHODS: The population under study consisted of 802 employees, both white- and blue-collar, working in a shipyard industry in Athens, Greece. Data were collected through the distribution of questionnaires and the recording of individual and job-related characteristics during the period 2006-2009. The questionnaires used were the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QD) Outcome Measure, the Work Ability Index (WAI) and the Short-Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey. The QD was divided into three parameters - movement restrictions in everyday activities, work and sports/music activities - and the SF-36 into two items, physical and emotional. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed by means of the SPSS v.22 for Windows Statistical Package. The participants' specialty made no statistically significant associations with any of the three parameters of the QD. CONCLUSION: Increased musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity are associated with older age, lower basic education and physical and mental/emotional health and reduced working ability.