A number of individual, ergonomic, and organizational factors of presumed importance for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders were investigated in a group of 260 visual display terminal (VDT) workers. The cross-sectional study utilized medical and workplace investigations as well as questionnaires. The results were subjected to a multivariate analysis in order to find the major factors associated with various upper-body muscular problems. Several such factors were identified for each investigated type of musculoskeletal problem. Some were related to the individual: age, gender, woman with children at home, use of spectacles, smoking, stomach-related stress reactions, and negative affectivity. Organizational variables of importance were opportunities for flexible rest breaks, extreme peer contacts, task flexibility, and overtime. Identified ergonomic variables were static work posture, hand position, use of lower arm support, repeated work movements, and keyboard or VDT vertical position.

KNAVE BO, WIBOM RI, VOSS M, HEDSTROM LD, BEROQVIST UOV: Work with video display terminals among office employees: I Subjective symptoms and discomfort. Scand J Work En viron Health II (1985) 457-466. Subjective symptoms and discomfort were evaluated by means of a questionnaire and compared between approximately 400 video display terminal (VDT) operator s and 150 selected referents . Previous and current illnesses, educational status, and smoking and drinkin g habits were also studied. The results showed the VDT operators to have more eye discomfort and possibly also more musculoskeletal discomfort in the shoulders, neck, and back than the referents. The VDT group also reported more skin disorders. In addition, women reported consistently more disorder s than men, regardless of whether or not they were employed in VDT work . Women in general displayed greater morbidity than men. Eye discomfort, musculoskeletal discomfort, headache, and skin disorders were found to be significantly correlated in the material. The results also indicated that total daily workhou rs and time spent looking at the VDT screen were related to the degree of discomfort. Even when the subjects were divided into subgroups with reference to the various enterpri ses, the types of work and the makes of VDT, the differences obtained in the degree of discomfort appeared to be due to variations in the length of workhours.Key terms: epidemiologic study, eye discomfort, headache, musculoskeletal complaint s, skin disorders, VDT make, workho urs, workplace, worktask.Various subjective symptoms, eg , ocular discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, and headache, have been related to work at a video display terminal (VDT) ever since the VDT was fir st introduced to worklife. (See references 1,2,8, l l , 13.) Certain facial skin disorders have also been described (9).The present epidemiologic health investigation involved about 400 VDT operators and ISO selected referen ts (ie, office employees without VDT work) in the Stockholm region. Various occupational exposure factors were measured from the screen itself, from the workstation, and from the work routine s. Subjective symptoms and d iscomforts in relation to the eyes , arms, back, and skin and headache were evaluated from questionnaires, a s well as previous and current di seases. In formation on eye status wa s obtained by means of routine ophthalmologic examinations . Certain special studies were made of accommodation, co nvergence, and refraction during the workday. Those subjects complaining of skin disorders on the face, the neck, and the hands were examined by dermatologists.The aim of the inve stigation was to compare the occurrence of subjective symptoms and discomfort between VDT operators and referents and to study the

Relationships between visual display terminal (VDT) use and musculoskeletal problems were examined in a group of 353 office workers, using data from medical and workplace investigations as well as questionnaires. There were no general differences between VDT and non-VDT users as to the occurrence of muscle problems. Combinations of specific VDT work situations such as data entry work or work with a VDT for more than 20 h/week and the presence of some other factors were, however, associated with excess risks of certain muscle problems. The extraneous factors involved in the definitions of such risk groups were: use of bifocal or progressive glasses at a VDT; stomach-related stress reactions; limited rest break opportunity; repetitive movements; non-use of lower arm support; and possibly the vertical position of the keyboard; and presence of specular glare.

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