The effect of occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors on osteoarthritis of hip or knee and selected other musculoskeletal diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury

• Published in: Environment international 2021-05, Vol.150, p.106349, Article 106349
• Main Authors: Hulshof, Carel T.J., Pega, Frank, Neupane, Subas, Colosio, Claudio, Daams, Joost G., Kc, Prakash, Kuijer, Paul P.F.M., Mandic-Rajcevic, Stefan, Masci, Federica, van der Molen, Henk F., Nygård, Clas-Håkan, Oakman, Jodi, Proper, Karin I., Frings-Dresen, Monique H.W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Case-Control Studies; Cost of Illness; Ergonomic risk factors; Ergonomics; Europe; Female; Global burden of disease; Humans; Musculoskeletal Diseases - epidemiology; Musculoskeletal Diseases - etiology; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis, Hip; Other musculoskeletal diseases; Risk Factors; Systematic review; World Health Organization
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106349

•WHO and ILO develop joint estimates of work-related burden of disease and injury.•Systematic review on osteoarthritis (OA) and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).•8 studies (in total 378,729 subjects) in 6 countries met the inclusion criteria.•Exposure to ergonomic risk factors increases the risk of MSD and OA of knee or hip.•Body of evidence is judged as ‘limited evidence of harmfulness’. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are developing joint estimates of the work-related burden of disease and injury (WHO/ILO Joint Estimates), with contributions from a large network of experts. Evidence from mechanistic data suggests that occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors may cause selected other musculoskeletal diseases, other than back or neck pain (MSD) or osteoarthritis of hip or knee (OA). In this paper, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis of parameters for estimating the number of disability-adjusted life years from MSD or OA that are attributable to occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors, for the development of the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse estimates of the effect of occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors (force exertion, demanding posture, repetitiveness, hand-arm vibration, lifting, kneeling and/or squatting, and climbing) on MSD and OA (two outcomes: prevalence and incidence). We developed and published a protocol, applying the Navigation Guide as an organizing systematic review framework where feasible. We searched electronic academic databases for potentially relevant records from published and unpublished studies, including the International Trials Register, Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and CISDOC. We also searched electronic grey literature databases, Internet search engines and organizational websites; hand-searched reference list of previous systematic reviews and included study records; and consulted additional experts. We included working-age (≥15 years) workers in the formal and informal economy in any WHO and/or ILO Member State but excluded children (