Fakhradin Ghasemi, Kamran Gholamizadeh, Amin Doosti-Irani, Rahmani Ramin,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (3-2019)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Upper extremities are very vulnerable to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and selecting the best technique for assessing their exposure to ergonomic risk factors is of pivotal importance. This study aimed to compare two techniques of SI and ACGIH-HAL and assess their relationship with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among butchers.
Methods: The study population was all butchers in Hamadan, Iran. After observing the activities, the assessments were conducted using both techniques. The severity of CTS syndromes was assessed using Boston questionnaire. The agreement between the techniques was investigated using Kappa coefficient. The association between the risk levels obtained from the techniques with the severity of CTS syndromes were assessed by regression analysis and fixing the effect of personal factors such as age, body mass index, and wrist ratio index.
Results: a total number of 152 butchers were evaluated. SI and ACGIH-HAL techniques respectively recognized 76 and 102 cases as low risk (agreement in 69 cases), 40 and 27 cases as moderate risk (agreement in 8 cases), and 36 and 23 cases as high risk (agreement in 18 cases). The Kappa coefficient between two techniques was 0.36 (P<0.001). By fixing the effects of age, body mass index, and wrist ratio index, both techniques had significant association with the severity of CTS syndromes. However, the association between SI and severity of CTS syndrome was higher than that of ACGIH-HAL.
Conclusion: SI had a higher estimate of risk than ACGIH-HAL. It seems that the predictive ability of SI for the severity of CTS syndrome is better than that of ACGIH-HAL.
Fatemeh Hajialikhani, Fatemeh Shahbazi, Neda Mahdavi,
Volume 14, Issue 2 (6-2026)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Handicraft artists in Isfahan Province are at heightened risk of developing upper‑extremity musculoskeletal disorders due to the nature of their work, which involves repetitive movements and awkward postures. This study was conducted to examine the influence of hand‑tool characteristics on upper‑extremity musculoskeletal discomfort among these artisans.
Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, 191 artisans (70 women and 121 men) working in the fields of enameling, turquoise inlaying, miniature painting, and metal engraving were selected through random sampling. Data were collected using demographic questionnaires, the Quick version of Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (Quick-DASH) questionnaire, and the Comfort QH (CQH) tool comfort questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata version 17, and a significance level of less than 0.05 was considered for all statistical tests.
Results: The mean and standard deviation of the Quick-DASH score were estimated at 28.89 and 4.91, respectively. The highest Quick-DASH score was related to the engravers, with a mean of 30.89 and a standard deviation of 2.91. Work experience was a factor influencing the Quick-DASH score (P = 0.003). The mean CQH questionnaire score for artists was 1.09 with a standard deviation of 0.26. Turquoise inlay workers and engravers had the most discomfort from the tools, with a mean (standard deviation) of 1.04(0.23). No significant correlation was observed between upper limb disability and tool comfort.
Conclusion: The handicraft artists of Isfahan, who routinely perform highly repetitive and fine manual tasks, are exposed to a considerable risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Although no statistically significant association was found between musculoskeletal disability and discomfort related to hand tools, both univariate and multivariate analyses highlighted the substantial impact of hand‑tool comfort on upper‑extremity musculoskeletal discomfort.
