Table 4.
Results from studies using questionnaires or interviews to assess work with elevated arms (self-reported): alphabetic order
| Outcome | Exposure | OR (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Univariate | Multivariate | |||
|
Bodin (2012a) CS Q = 58 clinical assessment |
Shoulder pain during in the past 12 months with/ without rotator cuff syndrome (RCS) | Working with arms abducted > 60° and/or above shoulder level ≥ 2 h/day | Not available |
Shoulder pain without RCS: Men Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (reference) Abducted: 1.6 (1.2; 2.2) Above shoulder: 0.9 (0.6; 1.4) Both: 1.8 (1.2; 2.7) Women: Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (reference) Abducted: 1.3 (0.8;1.9) Above shoulder: 0.9 (0.6; 1.5) Both: 1.2 (0.7; 2.2) Shoulder pain with RCS: Men Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (reference) Abducted: 1.1 (0.6; 2.1) Above shoulder: 2.4 (1.4; 4.1) Both: 2.6 (1.2; 2.7) Women: Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (reference) Abducted: 1.8 (1.0; 3.4) Above shoulder: 1.2 (0.6; 2.4) Both: 3.1 (1.5; 6.7) |
|
Bodin (2012b) PC Q = 51 clinical assessment |
Incidence of rotator cuff syndrome during follow-up |
Working with arms abducted > 60° > 2 h/day Work with arms above the shoulder > 2 h/day |
Incidence (%) arms abducted > 2 h/day: Men: no: 6.2, yes: 5.9 (p = 0.844) Women: no: 5.5, yes: 12.7 (p = 0.003) |
OR for being an incident case arms abducted > 2 h/day: Men: not significant—results not reported Women: no 1.0 (reference) Yes 2.6 (1.4; 5.0) If analysis restricted to subjects without shoulder pain at baseline Women: no 1.0 (reference) Yes 3.3 (1.6; 6.9) |
|
Arms above shoulder: Men: no: 5.3, yes: 12.8 (p = 0.004) Women: no: 6.9, yes:11.3 (p = 0.202) |
Arms above shoulder: Men: no 1.0 (reference) Yes 2.2 (1.0–4.7) Women: not significant—results not reported |
|||
|
Bodin (2012c) PC Q = 53 |
Incidence of shoulder pain (pain free at baseline, pain past 7 days at follow-up) |
Working with arms abducted > 60° > 2 h/day Work with arms above the shoulder (yes/no) |
Incidence (%) Arms abducted > 2 h/day: Men: no: 11.2, yes: 10.7 (p = 0.884) Women: no: 20.2, yes: 23.2 (p = 0.530) Arms above shoulder: Men: no: 9.5, yes: 13.8 (p = 0.041) Women: no: 18.7, yes: 24.7 (p = 0.073) |
OR for being an incident case Arms abducted > 2 h/day: Men and women: Not significant—results not reported Arms above shoulder: Men: 1.5 (1.0;2.3) Women: not significant—results not reported |
|
Bovenzi (2015) PC Q = 72 |
Shoulder pain in the past 12 months (i) episodes (ii) duration (iii) intensity |
Work with hands and arms raised above shoulder level during a typical working day: “never” “< 1 h/day” “> 1 h/day” |
Not available |
Only male participants Episodes: Never 1.00 (reference) < 1 h/day 0.93 (0.18; 4.88) > 1 h/day 2.00 (1.02; 3.92) Duration: Never 1.00 (reference) < 1 h/day 1.89 (0.99; 3.58) > 1 h/day 1.29 (0.27; 6.18) Intensity: Never 1.00 (reference) < 1 h/day 0.97 (0.18; 5.16) > 1 h/day 2.38 (1.19; 4.78) |
|
Descatha (2012) PC Q = 46 |
Moderate or severe shoulder pain in the past 12 months At follow-up analyzed for moderate pain among workers with no pain at baseline, and severe pain among workers with no or moderate pain at baseline Analyses at baseline (cross-sectional) also presented |
Duration arm elevation > 90° without carrying loads < 1 year; 1–25 years; > 25 years This study also presents results for arm elevation > 90° while carrying loads, but these results are not included here |
Not available |
Only male participants Moderate vs no shoulder pain: < 1 year: 1.00 (reference) 1–25 years: 1.27 (0.78; 2.07) > 25 years: 0.82 (0.30; 2.21) Severe vs no shoulder pain: < 1 year: 1.00 (reference) 1–25 years: 1.50 (0.87; 2.56) > 25 years: 0.59 (0.19; 1.83) Severe vs no or moderate pain: < 1 years: 1.00 (reference) 1–25 years: 0.67 (0.33; 1.38) > 25 years: 1.32 (0.45; 3.94) Analyses at baseline (CS) Moderate vs no shoulder pain: < 1 years: 1.00 (reference) 1–25 years: 1.27 (0.75; 2.13) > 25 years: 1.27 (0.55; 2.93) Severe vs no shoulder pain: < 1 years: 1.00 (reference) 1–25 years: 1.45 (0.98;2.17) > 25 years: 0.75 (0.36; 1.58) Severe vs moderate or no pain: < 1 years: 1.00 (reference) 1–25 years: 1.42 (0.96; 2.10) > 25 years: 0.73 (0.35; 1.52) |
|
Engholm (2005) CS Q = 47 |
Shoulder pain in the past 12 months Non cases: “Never” “rarely” Cases: “Often” “Very often” |
How often do you work with your hands above your shoulders? “Rarely” “Rather rarely” “Sometimes” “Rather often” “Often” |
Not available |
Only male participants Rarely: 1.00 (reference) Rather rarely: 1.16 (1.04–1.29) Sometimes: 1.21 (1.10–1.34) Rather often: 1.64 (1.48–1.82) Often: 3.66 (3.32–4.04) |
|
Harkness (2003) PC Q = 65 |
Pain in the shoulder complex lasting for one day or longer in the past month |
Working with hands at or above shoulder level during the past working day: “Never” “< 15 min” “≥ 15 min” |
Unadjusted: Never: 1.0 (reference) < 15 min 1.1 (0.7; 1.6) > 15 min 1.6 (1.2; 2.8) Univariate: Never 1.0 (reference) < 15 min 1.0 (0.7; 1.7) > 15 min 1.9 (1.2; 2.9) |
Multivariate: Never: 1.0 (reference) < 15 min: 1.0 (0.6; 1.6) > 15 min: 1.6 (0.98; 2.5) |
|
Hoe (2012) CS Q = 47 |
Shoulder pain alone in the past month Subjects with shoulder pain and neck pain as a separate category |
Working with hands above shoulder > 1 h (yes/no) | Not available |
Subjects with shoulder pain only: No: 1.00 (reference) Yes: 1.28 (0.67–2.46) Subjects with both shoulder pain and neck pain: No: 1.00 (reference) Yes: 1.42 (0.81–2.50) |
|
Hooftman (2009) PC Q = 67 |
Shoulder pain or discomfort in the past 12 months |
Working with hands above shoulder level: “No”, “Yes” |
Not available |
Men: No 1.00 (reference) Yes 1.30 (1.12; 1.52) Women: No 1.00 (reference) Yes 1.24 (1.05; 1.47) |
|
Hoozemans (2002) CS Q = 53 |
Past year: (i) Ache, pain or discomfort in the shoulder; (ii) high shoulder pain intensity |
Working with hands above shoulder heights: “Seldom or never” “Sometimes” “Quite often” “Very often” |
Not available |
Ache/pain/discomfort: Low exposed: 1.00 (reference) Medium exposed: 1.82 (1.13; 3.03) High exposed. n.s. (results not shown) High pain intensity: Low exposed: 1.00 (reference) Medium exposed: 2.35 (1.13; 4.86) High exposed. n.s. (results not shown) |
|
Leclerc (2004) PC Q = 44 |
Shoulder pain for at least 1 day during the past 6 months |
Working with arms above shoulder level: “Frequently” “Infrequently” |
Not available |
Women: Infrequently 1.00 (reference) Frequently 1.84 (0.89;3.79) Men: Factor less than p < 0.20 in bivariate analysis and not included in multivariate model |
|
Luime (2004b) PC Q = 47 |
Shoulder pain or discomfort in the past 12 months |
Working with hands above shoulder level: At risk: “often” or “very often” Reference: “seldom or never” or “sometimes” |
Incident cases Reference: 1.00 At risk: 1.22 (0.60; 2.49), Recurrent cases Reference: 1.00 At risk: 1.13 (0.75; 1.71) |
The variable “working with hands above shoulder level” did not remain in the final multivariate models |
|
Melchior (2006) CS Q = 53 clinical assessment |
Rotator cuff syndrome |
(i) Holding one or both arms above the shoulders (ii) Holding one or both arms away from the body "Never" " < 2hours/day" " > 2hours/day" |
Not available |
Prevalence ratios: Arms above shoulders Men: Never: 1.00 (reference) < 2 h/day: 1.06 (0.67;1.67) > 2 h/day: 2.57 (1.67;3.97) Women: Never: 1.00 (reference) < 2 h/day: 1.21 (0.75;1.93) > 2 h/day: 1.75 (1.09;2.83) Arms away from body Men: Never: 1.00 (reference) < 2 h/day: 1.49 (0.96;2.30) > 2 h/day: 1.42 (0.87;2.31) Women: Never: 1.00 (reference) < 2 h/day: 1.23 (0.69;2.09) > 2 h/day: 2.13 (1.36;3.33) |
|
Miranda (2005) CS Q = 78 Clinical assessment |
Chronic rotator cuff tendinitis | Duration (years) of working with a hand above shoulder level (> 1 h/day) | Not available |
Total None 1.0 (reference) 1–3 years: 2.4 (1.0;5.9) 4–13 years: 3.2 (1.6;6.5) 14–23 years: 4.7 (2.4;9.1) > 23 years: 2.3 (1.1;4.9) Men None 1.0 (reference) 1–3 years: 3.1 (1.1;8.4) 4–13 years: 3.0 (1.2;7.7) 14–23 years: 4.8 (1.9;12.1) > 23 years: 2.3 (0.7;7.0) Women None 1.0 (reference) 1–3 years: 1.0 (0.2;4.6) 4–13 years: 2.2 (0.6;7.4) 14–23 years: 4.4 (1.5;12.4) > 23 years: 2.5 (0.8;7.9) |
|
Miranda (2001) PC Q = 44 |
Days with shoulder pain in the past 12 months Incident case: < 8 days at baseline and ≥ 8 days at follow-up Persistent case: > 30 days both at baseline and follow-up |
Work with a hand above shoulder level: < 0.5 h/day 0.5–1 h/day > 1 h/day |
Incidence: < 0.5 h/day 1.0 (reference) 0.5–1 h/day: 1.4 (1.0;2.0) > 1 h/day: 1.8 (1.3;2.6) Persistence: < 0.5 h/day 1.0 (reference) 0.5–1 h/day: 1.4 (0.8;2.4) > 1 h/day: 1.5 (0.8;2.5) |
Incidence: < 0.5 h/day 1.0 (reference) 0.5–1 h/day: 1.1 (0.8;1.6) > 1 h/day: 1.3 (0.8;1.9) Persistence: < 0.5 h/day 1.0 (reference) 0.5-1 h/day: 1.4 (0.8;2.4) > 1 h/day: 1.4 (0.8;2.5) |
|
Nahit (2001) CS Q = 44 |
Shoulder pain experienced during the past month, lasting > 24 h | Working with hands above shoulder level during the last working day: > 15 min (yes/no) |
(Adjusted for age and sex) No: 1.0 (Reference) Yes: 1.3 (0.9;1.8) |
|
|
Niedhammer (1998) CS Q = 44 |
Shoulder disorders in the past 6 months (pain, stiffness, or discomfort), pain duration |
Working with arms above shoulder level: “Frequently” “Infrequently” |
Not available |
Only female participants Shoulder disorders: no associations with p < 0.15 found Chronic shoulder disorders: Either side Infrequently 1.00 (reference) Frequently 1.94 (0.83;4.54) Left side Infrequently 1.00 (reference) Frequently 6.51 (2.07;20.05) Right side no associations with p < 0.15 found |
|
Roquelaure (2011) CS Q = 58 clinical assessment |
Rotator cuff syndrome | Working with arms abducted > 60° and/or above shoulder level ≥ 2 h/day |
Men: Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (ref) Abducted: 1.5 (0.8–2.7) Above should: 3.2 (2.0–5.2) Both: 3.1 (1.8–5.5) Women: Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (ref) Abducted: 2.4 (1.4–4.2) Above should: 1.7 (0.9–3.3) Both: 3.9 (2.0–7.7) |
Men: Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (reference) Abducted: 0.9 (0.5;1.8) Above shoulder: 2.3 (1.3;3.9) Both: 2.0 (1.1–3;7) Women: Exposed < 2 h: 1.0 (reference) Abducted: 1.8 (1.0;3.2) Above shoulder: 1.6 (0.8;3.1) Both: 3.6 (1.8;7.3) |
|
Seidler (2011) CC Q = 57 clinical assessment |
Partial or total supraspinatus tendon tears | Cumulative lifetime exposure to work above shoulder level |
Only male participants Never 1.0 (reference) > 0 to < 610 h 1.7 (1.0;2.8) 610 to < 3195 h 2.6 (1.6;4.2) 3195–64,057 h 4.1 (2.6;6.4) |
Only male participants Never 1.0 (reference) > 0 to < 610 h 1.0 (0.6;1.8) 610 to < 3195 h 1.4 (0.8;2.4) 3195–64,057 h 2.0 (1.1;3.5) |
|
Sim (2006) CS Q = 44 |
Shoulder pain in the last 4 weeks lasting 1 day or longer | Working with one/both arms at shoulder height or above on most or all days of the working week (yes/no) | Not available |
No: 1.0 (reference) Yes: 1.1 (0.9;1.4) |
Study design: PC prospective cohort, CC case–control, CS cross-sectional
Q quality score