Affiliations: Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: James Hill, MD, Yale University
School of Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, 135
College Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. Tel.: +1 203 785 6434; Fax: +1 203
785 7391; E-mail: james.j.hill@yale.edu
Abstract: Objective: Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to
explore the relationship between anthropometric measurements, job strain and
work organization factors and the prevalence of musculoskeletal
symptoms/occupational injuries in medical sonographers. Methods: A
cross-sectional survey of twenty-six female sonographers at a tertiary medical
center completed a standardized symptom questionnaire and underwent
anthropometric measurement. First aid events and OSHA reportable injuries were
abstracted from employee health records. Results: 96% of subjects
reported some type of musculoskeletal symptoms within the past year, with
shoulders (73%), low back (69%) and wrist/hand symptoms (54%) reported
most often. PCA identified seven domains among the predictive variables:
physical size, job strain, time on job, abdominal girth, work pace/variability,
movement during study, and time spent standing. The magnitude and direction of
effect for predicting musculoskeletal symptoms varied by symptom location.
Abdominal girth was consistently associated with increased likelihood of
reporting symptoms. Conclusion: Sonographers work in a high demand/low
control environment. Future studies of sonographers may need to include
measures of both physical size and job strain. Reducing risk factors for one
anatomical location may increase the risk at another location in this
population.
