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Biomedical subjects

Johan Hviid Andersen

Publications and source records attributed to Johan Hviid Andersen.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[The influence of physical work conditions on adverse pregnancy outcomes].

The influence of physical work conditions on adverse pregnancy outcomes is in Denmark guided by recommendations from the Danish Labour Inspection. In this review, the literature on physically demanding work and its influence on pregnancy outcomes is examined. There is no evidence for posing accurate weight limits designed for pregnant women carrying heavy loads. In relation to work with standing or walking postures, it seems that especially prolonged standing is critical for pregnant women. There is no study that deals with the influence of pulling or pushing on pregnancy outcomes.

Ergonomics↗
PubMed2006

[Multiple chemical sensitivity, a well-defined illness?].

Some people react to smells or chemicals at levels far below toxicological thresholds with nonspecific symptoms, fear and social isolation. They may be diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivity. There is no empirical evidence indicating that this condition is explained by toxicological mechanisms, even though a number of theories have been proposed. The authors of this review conclude that this is a functional condition. These patients need information and treatment in accordance with this fact. Instead of being advised how to avoid exposure to chemicals, they should be properly trained in appropriate confrontation with the chemicals encountered in everyday life.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Elbow and wrist/hand symptoms among 6,943 computer operators: a 1-year follow-up study (the NUDATA study).

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine relations between computer work aspects and elbow and wrist/hand pain conditions and disorders. METHODS: In a 1-year follow-up study among 6,943 technical assistants and machine technicians self-reported active mouse and keyboard time, ergonomic exposures and associations with elbow and wrist/hand pain were determined. Standardized clinical examinations were performed among symptomatic participants at baseline and at follow-up. RESULTS: For continuous duration of mouse time adjusted linear effects were statistically significant for all investigated pain conditions. For continuous duration of keyboard time the corresponding effects were statistically significant for wrist/hand pain conditions except incident 'severe' wrist/hand pain. There were no threshold effects above 0 hr per week (hr/w) of mouse exposure in association with pain conditions, while keyboard exposure showed a threshold effect with 12-month wrist/hand pain at follow-up. Clinical diagnoses were not associated with exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Detailed examination of self-reported exposures showed that mouse and keyboard time predicted elbow and wrist/hand pain from low exposure levels without a threshold effect, but mouse and keyboard time were not predictors of clinical conditions.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Neck and shoulder symptoms and disorders among Danish computer workers.

OBJECTIVES: Neck and shoulder pain and disorders were studied among frequent computer users, and the associated effect of mouse and keyboard use was evaluated. METHODS: Technical assistants and machine technicians were followed for 1 year. Questionnaires were sent to 9480 persons (initial response 73%, follow-up response 82%). Computer use information was obtained from the questionnaires. Symptom cases at baseline and follow-up were clinically examined using a standardized clinical protocol. The main outcomes were self-reported pain symptoms in the neck and right shoulder and clinical cases of rotator cuff syndrome, tension neck syndrome, and neck-shoulder pain with pressure tenderness. RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate-to-severe pain in the neck and right shoulder was 4.1% and 3.4%, respectively, and the 1-year incidence for no or minor baseline symptoms was 1.5% and 1.9%, respectively. At baseline, the prevalence rate ratio (PRR) for neck pain was 1.7 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-2.6] for mouse use >25 hours/week, that for right shoulder pain increased from 1.6 (95% CI 1.1-2.4) for 15-19 hours/ week to 2.5 (95% CI 1.4-4.3) for >30 hours/week of mouse use, and that for tension neck syndrome increased from 3.5 (95% CI 1.0-12) for 25-29 hours/week to 4.7 (95% CI 1.2-18) for >30 hours/week of mouse use. The relative risk (RR) for new neck pain was 1.8 (95% CI 0.8-3.9) for keyboard use > or = 15 hours/week and increased to 2.4 (95% CI 0.8-6.8) for > or = 30 hours/week. New right-shoulder pain symptoms were associated with mouse use >20 hours/week (RR 1.9, 95% Cl 1.0-3.5, and RR 3.3, 95% CI 1.2-8.9) and with keyboard use >15 hours/week (RR 2.2, 95% CI 1.0-4.9). CONCLUSIONS: Mouse use is associated with an increased risk of moderate-to-severe pain in the neck and right shoulder, and an association with tension neck syndrome is possible.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed2003

Computer use and carpal tunnel syndrome: a 1-year follow-up study.

CONTEXT: Computer use is increasingly common among many working populations, and concern exists about possible adverse effects of computer use, such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and incidence of possible CTS and to evaluate the contribution of use of mouse devices and keyboards to the risk of possible CTS. DESIGN AND SETTING: A 1-year follow-up study with questionnaires conducted in 2000 and 2001 at 3500 workplaces in Denmark, followed on each of the 2 occasions by a clinical interview on symptom distribution and frequency. PARTICIPANTS: The questionnaire was sent to 9480 members of a trade union, with an initial response rate of 73% (n = 6943), and 82% (n = 5658) at follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: At baseline, there were 3 outcome measures: tingling/numbness in the right hand once a week or more as reported in the questionnaire; tingling, numbness, and pain in the median nerve in the right hand confirmed by clinical interview; and tingling, numbness, and pain in the median nerve in the right hand at night confirmed by clinical interview. At 1 year of follow-up the main outcome of interest was onset of symptoms among participants who had no or minor symptoms at baseline. RESULTS: The overall self-reported prevalence of tingling/numbness in the right hand at baseline was 10.9%. The interview confirmed that prevalence of tingling/numbness in the median nerve was 4.8%, of which about one third, corresponding to a prevalence of 1.4%, experienced symptoms at night. Onset of new symptoms in the 1-year follow-up was 5.5%. In the cross-sectional comparisons and in the follow-up analyses, there was an association between use of a mouse device for more than 20 h/wk and risk of possible CTS but no statistically significant association with keyboard use. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of possible CTS in the right hand was low. The study emphasizes that computer use does not pose a severe occupational hazard for developing symptoms of CTS.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Physical, psychosocial, and individual risk factors for neck/shoulder pain with pressure tenderness in the muscles among workers performing monotonous, repetitive work.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of individual characteristics and physical and psychosocial workplace factors on neck/shoulder pain with pressure tenderness in the muscles. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Controversy prevails about the importance of workplace factors versus individual factors in the etiology of pain in the neck and/or shoulders. METHODS: Study participants were 3123 workers from 19 plants. Physical risk factors were evaluated via video observations, and psychosocial risk factors were assessed with the job content questionnaire. Other procedures included symptom survey, clinical examination, and assessment of health-related quality of life (SF-36). The main outcome variable, neck/shoulder pain with pressure tenderness, was defined on the basis of subjective pain score and pressure tenderness in muscles of the neck/shoulder region. RESULTS: The prevalence of neck/shoulder pain with pressure tenderness was 7.0% among participants performing repetitive work and 3.8% among the referents. We found an association with high repetitiveness (prevalence ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.9), high force (2.0, 1.2-3.3), and high repetitiveness and high force (2.3, 1.4-4.0). The strongest work-related psychosocial risk was high job demands (1.8, 1.2-2.7). Increased risk was also associated with neck/shoulder injury (2.6, 1.6-4.1), female gender (1.8, 1.2-2.8), and low pressure pain threshold (1.6, 1.1-2.3). Neck/shoulder pain was strongly associated with reduced health-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related physical and psychosocial factors, as well as several individual risk factors, are important in the understanding of neck/shoulder pain. The findings suggest that neck/shoulder pain has a multifactorial nature. Reduced health-related quality of life is associated with subjective pain and clinical signs from the neck and shoulders. The physical workplace factors were highly intercorrelated, and so the effect of individual physical exposures could only be disentangled to a minor degree.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Identification of neck-shoulder disorders in a 1 year follow-up study. Validation Of a questionnaire-based method.

A cohort of 243 female sewing machine operators were studied by questionnaire and clinical examinations with the purpose to study the efficiency of a screening questionnaire-based method to identify prevalent and incident cases of neck-shoulder disorders. The cross-sectional correlation between self-reported neck-shoulder complaints scores and clinical signs of a neck-shoulder disorder was high. An assessed cut-of point of complaints could identify 90% of all cases fulfilling the criteria of rotator cuff tendinitis, while the complaint score with regard to clinical signs of myofascial pain syndrome was about 67%. In the follow-up analyses, incident clinical signs of disorders at 1 year follow-up were used as 'golden standard' in the validation of screening criteria, which included a defined increase of symptoms. Apparently increase of symptoms did not seem to be the optimal criteria for identification of incident cases. Alternatively a cut-of point of regional complaints in close relation to clinical examinations is recommended.

Adult↗