VDT Work Duration and Musculoskeletal Discomfort

Fahrbach, Pamela A.; Chapman, Loren J.

doi:10.1177/216507999003800106

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…Others have failed to observe a relationship between VDT use and physical symptoms (Fahrbach and Chapman, 1990;Shima et al, 1993;Sugita et al, 1986) or mental symptoms (Starr et al, 1985;Tarumi et al, 1990). Thus, the effects of techno-stress through VDT use on physical or mental distress are still controversial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Visual Display Terminal Use on the Physical and Mental Conditions of Administrative Staff in Japan

Abe

Kusano

et al. 2007

J Physiol Anthropol

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Visual display terminals (VDT) are standard equipment for many office workers. Their use, however, may increase the risk of developing adverse conditions related to vision, the musculoskeletal system, and mental health. We carried out a survey among 3070 workers aged 18 to 67 years (mean, 39.9 years) at a prefectural administrative office, in which 76% of subjects were visual display terminal (VDT) users. We examined the relationship between duration of daily VDT use and eyestrain, neck or upper extremity pain, back pain, and mental health, and estimated the effect of breaks and rest during VDT work on these symptoms. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12: total scores ranged from 0 to 12) was used to identify potential poor mental health status, and subjects with 4 or more were considered to have symptoms of psychological distress. Seventeen percent of subjects reported eyestrain, 19.1% reported upper extremity pain, 11.6% reported back pain, and 17% of subjects had GHQ-12 scores of 4 or higher. Logistic regression analysis showed that duration of daily VDT use and lack of breaks and rest during VDT work were significantly associated with eyestrain, neck or upper extremity pain, back pain, and psychological distress. In order to protect users from the adverse effects associated with VDT work, reducing daily VDT exposure, taking breaks, and rest during VDT work are important.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Visual Display Terminal Use on the Physical and Mental Conditions of Administrative Staff in Japan

Abe

Kusano

et al. 2007

J Physiol Anthropol

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“…The relationship between computer use and musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and upper extremity has been well documented (Fahrbach and Chapman, 1990;Punnett and Bergqvist, 1997). The prevalence of symptoms associated with computer use has increased rapidly over the past decade (Karlqvist et al, 2002;Keogh et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The prevalence of symptoms associated with computer use has increased rapidly over the past decade (Karlqvist et al, 2002;Keogh et al, 2000). In the United States, the annual number of new cases of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers increased 10-fold between 1985and 1990(Fahrbach and Chapman, 1990.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of wrist rests and forearm support during keyboard and mouse use

Cook

Burgess-Limerick

Papalia

2004

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

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Supporting the forearm on the work surface during keyboard operation may increase comfort, decrease muscular load of the neck and shoulders, and decrease the time spent in ulnar deviation. Wrist rests are used widely in the workplace and are more commonly being incorporated in keyboard design. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of wrist rest use on wrist posture during forearm support. A laboratory based, experimental study was conducted (subjects n ¼ 15) to examine muscle activity and wrist postures during keyboard and mouse tasks in each of two conditions; wrist rest and no wrist rest. There were no significant differences for right wrist flexion/extension between use of a wrist rest and no wrist rest for keyboard or mouse use. Left wrist extension was significantly higher without a wrist rest than with a wrist rest during keyboard use (df=14; t ¼ 2:95; p ¼ 0:01; d ¼ 0:38). No differences with respect to use of a wrist rest were found for the left or right hand for ulnar deviation for keyboard or mouse use. There were no differences in muscle activity between the test conditions for keyboard use. Relevance to industryWrist rests are used widely in the workplace and are more commonly being incorporated in keyboard design. Use of a wrist rest in conjunction with forearm support when using a conventional desk does not appear to have any impact on wrist posture or muscle activity during keyboard use. r

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“…A survey by the American Optometric Association concluded that eyestrain, blurred vision, and headache are the top three vision complaints associated with video display unit work (Dainoff, Happ, & Crane, 1981;Sheedy, 1992). Moreover, the relationship between computer use and MSDs of the neck and upper extremity has been well documented (Fahrbach & Chapman, 1990;Punnett & Bergqvist, 1997b). Therefore, our findings are consistent with those reported in the literature.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring time‐dependent symptom outcomes in office staff

Lü

Toivonen

Takala

2009

Hum Ftrs & Erg Mfg Svc

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This article illustrates the application of a new mathematical model developed for the study of time-dependent health outcomes for office staff during computer work. The model describes the timedependent associations of computer usage with outcomes expressed as discomfort in multiple body regions. The association is explicitly presented with a functional relationship that is parameterized by body regions. The validation of the model demonstrated accuracy in reproducing the observed quantities for the study population. Therefore, we used this model to assess the impact of computerrelated work exposure on discomfort in different body regions among office staff to better understand the behavior of musculoskeletal and other symptoms. The exposures and outcomes were recorded parallel in time as usage of keyboard and mouse and with diaries of discomfort. The body regions of neck/shoulders, eyes, head, shoulder joint/upper arm, and upper back were identified to have the highest discomfort levels and rates for the development of discomfort parallel with exposures. Most of our findings are consistent with the literature. The developed mathematical methodology may be used to understand how the human body reacts to computer work to further prevent potential musculoskeletal and other disorders. C 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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VDT Work Duration and Musculoskeletal Discomfort

Cited by 21 publications

References 5 publications

The Influence of Visual Display Terminal Use on the Physical and Mental Conditions of Administrative Staff in Japan

The Influence of Visual Display Terminal Use on the Physical and Mental Conditions of Administrative Staff in Japan

The effect of wrist rests and forearm support during keyboard and mouse use

Exploring time‐dependent symptom outcomes in office staff

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