Upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and functional impairment associated with computer use among college students

Purpose: Occupational computer use has been associated with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders among working-age adults, but little is known about computer-related musculoskeletal problems among college students. We carried out a descriptive epidemiological study of computer use-associated sy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Work (Reading, Mass.) Mass.), 2004, Vol.23 (2), p.85-93
Main Authors: Hupert, Nathaniel, Amick, Benjamin C., Fossel, Anne H., Coley, Christopher M., Robertson, Michelle M., Katz, Jeffrey N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
College students
Computer use
Computers
Cost of Illness
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Services - utilization
Humans
Male
Muscular system
Musculoskeletal Diseases - etiology
Pain
Personal computers
Repetitive motion disorders
Students
Studies
Upper Extremity - physiopathology
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Summary:Purpose: Occupational computer use has been associated with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders among working-age adults, but little is known about computer-related musculoskeletal problems among college students. We carried out a descriptive epidemiological study of computer use-associated symptoms, functional limitations, and medication and health care utilization in this population. Subjects and methods: Cross-sectional survey of 240 undergraduates in the second through fourth years at a residential dormitory at a four-year college with random housing assignments. Results: 194 students returned useable surveys (81% response rate). 42% reported upper extremity pain or discomfort when using a computer in the preceding two weeks. 41% said this pain or discomfort caused functional limitation and 9% said that these symptoms hindered academic or extracurricular performance. 23% reported taking medications for upper extremity pain related to computing (4% regularly) and 16% had seen a health care provider for computer-related symptoms. Female students, students of racial/ethnic minority groups, and students who experienced symptoms with ≤ 1 hour of computer use were more likely to report symptom-related functional limitation than others. Conclusion: College students report high rates of computer use-associated upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and symptom-related functional limitation. Future studies should more closely examine exposure, demographic, and ergonomic correlates of these symptoms and outcomes.Purpose:
ISSN:1051-9815
1875-9270
DOI:10.3233/WOR-2004-00373