Table 4.
Multivariate analyses for wrist/hand symptoms and clinically confirmed CTS
| Predictors | Symptomatic (n=373) vs. Asymptomatic (n=596) OR (95% CI) |
Clinically confirmed CTS (n=93) vs. Clinically uncertain CTS (n=280) OR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 1.02 (0.97 to 1.07) | 1.01 (0.96 to 1.06) |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 1 | 1 |
| Female | 1.16 (0.78 to 1.89) | 1.51 (0.82 to 2.76) |
| BMI | ||
| 1.02 (0.75 to 1.79) | 1.01 (0.92 to 1.12) | |
| Education | ||
| Secondary & below | 1 | 1 |
| Diploma | 0.46 (0.20 to 1.07) | 0.24 (0.05 to 1.14) |
| Bachelor | 0.81 (0.43 to 1.52) | 0.48 (0.04 to 6.67) |
| Master & above | 0.61 (0.18 to 2.01) | 0.20 (0.05 to 0.97) |
| Smoking | ||
| Yes | 2.20 (1.19 to 4.07) | NA |
| No | 1 | |
| Working department | ||
| Information & Technology | 1 | 1 |
| Finance & Accounting | 1.10 (0.67 to 1.82) | 1.51 (0.75 to 3.04) |
| Marketing | 0.48 (0.22 to 1.08) | 1.10 (0.36 to 3.42) |
| Human Resources | 0.92 (0.46 to 1.85) | 0.88 (0.33 to 2.35) |
| Sales | 0.52 (0.27 to 1.02) | 0.57 (0.24 to 1.35) |
| Others | 0.70 (0.42 to 1.16) | 1.15 (0.51 to 2.61) |
| Working experience (yr) | 1.01 (0.95 to 1.08) | NA |
| Daily computer use time (hr) | 1.11 (1.02 to 1.22) | NA |
| Daily keyboard use time (hr) | 0.98 (0.90 to 1.06) | NA |
| Breaks at work | ||
| Yes | 1 | |
| No | 1.88 (1.12 to 3.14) | NA |
| Adjust posture at work | ||
| Yes | 1 | |
| No | 1.30 (0.88 to 1.92) | NA |
| Working in pain | ||
| Never | 1 | 1 |
| Rarely | 1.19 (0.44 to 3.21) | 2.53 (0.65 to 9.81) |
| Sometimes | 1.46 (0.56 to 3.82) | 2.56 (0.68 to 9.61) |
| Often | 1.82 (0.68 to 4.86) | 3.94 (1.06 to 14.64) |
| Always | 1.73 (0.63 to 4.79) | 4.73 (1.16 to 19.29) |
| Decision control at work | ||
| Never | 1.93 (1.00 to 3.72) | |
| Rarely | 1.55 (0.83 to 2.88) | |
| Sometimes | 1.38 (0.71 to 2.68) | NA |
| Often | 0.76 (0.27 to 2.11) | |
| Always | 1 | |
Note: The multivariate regression model included those variables with p < 0.10 during the respective univariate analyses
Abbreviations: CTS carpal tunnel syndrome, BMI body mass index, OR odds ratio, CI confidence interval, NA not applicable, the factor was not included into the multivariate regression model, yr year, hr. hour