Musculoskeletal disorders in visual display unit work: gender and work demands.

In addition to physiologic differences between men and women, differences in pain reporting and medical care-seeking behavior, job assignments and ergonomic exposures (including work in the home), and strategies for performing various physical tasks must be considered.

The influence of VDT work on musculoskeletal disorders.

Relationships between visual display terminal (VDT) use and musculoskeletal problems were examined in a group of 353 office workers, using data from medical and workplace investigations as well as questionnaires. There were no general differences between VDT and non-VDT users as to the occurrence of muscle problems. Combinations of specific VDT work situations such as data entry work or work with a VDT for more than 20 h/week and the presence of some other factors were, however, associated with excess risks of certain muscle problems. The extraneous factors involved in the definitions of such risk groups were: use of bifocal or progressive glasses at a VDT; stomach-related stress reactions; limited rest break opportunity; repetitive movements; non-use of lower arm support; and possibly the vertical position of the keyboard; and presence of specular glare.

Musculoskeletal disorders among visual display terminal workers: individual, ergonomic, and work organizational factors.

A number of individual, ergonomic, and organizational factors of presumed importance for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders were investigated in a group of 260 visual display terminal (VDT) workers. The cross-sectional study utilized medical and workplace investigations as well as questionnaires. The results were subjected to a multivariate analysis in order to find the major factors associated with various upper-body muscular problems. Several such factors were identified for each investigated type of musculoskeletal problem. Some were related to the individual: age, gender, woman with children at home, use of spectacles, smoking, stomach-related stress reactions, and negative affectivity. Organizational variables of importance were opportunities for flexible rest breaks, extreme peer contacts, task flexibility, and overtime. Identified ergonomic variables were static work posture, hand position, use of lower arm support, repeated work movements, and keyboard or VDT vertical position.

Skin symptoms and disease during work with visual display terminals.

A cross-sectional study on 353 routine office workers was performed in order to investigate relationships between skin diseases, signs or reported symptoms and work at visual display terminals. Skin diseases and signs were ascertained by dermatological examination. Skin symptoms as well as details of VDT work and other work conditions were obtained from a questionnaire. Measurements of the physical environment were made at each work place. The results were subjected to a multivariate analysis. There was a tendency for increased occurrence of seborrhoeic eczema, nonspecific erythema and symptoms among VDT compared to non-VDT users. Organizational conditions during VDT work, such as a perceived high work pace or work load, and inability to take rest breaks, were found to be associated with reported skin symptoms and nonspecific erythema. A low relative humidity was associated with a diagnosis of seborrhoeic eczema. No associations were found in this study between current field levels of electric or magnetic fields and skin diseases, signs or reported symptoms.

Eye discomfort and work with visual display terminals.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between eye discomfort symptoms and work with visual display terminals among routine office workers. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-seven office workers and their work stations were investigated by means of questionnaires and worksite investigations. The data were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The occurrence of eye discomfort increased as the extent of VDT work increased, as did the specific symptoms of sensitivity to light and smarting, gritting feeling, or redness. The use of spectacles during visual display terminal work, age, stomach stress reaction, distances between the eye and different visual task objects, as well as the vertical position of the terminal also influenced certain symptoms. Having (i) the terminal at about eye level during prolonged terminal work, (ii) using monofocal glasses during terminal work in situations with large distance variations to visual task objects, or (iii) being elderly with prolonged terminal work and reporting stomach stress all led to increased odds ratios for certain eye discomfort symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a visual display terminal in routine office work is associated with an increased occurrence of certain eye discomfort symptoms. This association is affected also by the presence of certain other individual and ergonomic factors.

Possible health effects of working with VDUs.

A summary of the effects presented here is given in the table. The designation "factor present" implies that there is knowledge (from human or animal studies, or both) of a specific factor(s) present in VDU work which may be part of a causal link. The designation "summary statement" gives my conclusions of the relation between VDU work and the various effects; the "state of the art." Suggestions for "additional" health effects have also appeared but so far generally without supporting or suggesting evidence.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. I. Subjective symptoms and discomfort.

Subjective symptoms and discomfort were evaluated by means of a questionnaire and compared between approximately 400 video display terminal (VDT) operators and 150 selected referents. Previous and current illnesses, educational status, and smoking and drinking habits were also studied. The results showed the VDT operators to have more eye discomfort and possibly also more musculoskeletal discomfort in the shoulders, neck, and back than the referents. The VDT group also reported more skin disorders. In addition, women reported consistently more disorders than men, regardless of whether or not they were employed in VDT work. Women in general displayed greater morbidity than men. Eye discomfort, musculoskeletal discomfort, headache, and skin disorders were found to be significantly correlated in the material. The results also indicated that total daily workhours and time spent looking at the VDT screen were related to the degree of discomfort. Even when the subjects were divided into subgroups with reference to the various enterprises, the types of work and the makes of VDT, the differences obtained in the degree of discomfort appeared to be due to variations in the length of workhours.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. II. Physical exposure factors.

This is the second report in a major epidemiologic health investigation on work with a video display terminal (VDT). The first study showed that VDT operators reported more eye discomfort than a reference group not employed in VDT work and that women reported more eye discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, and skin disorders than men, regardless of whether they worked with a VDT or not. The present report contains the results of the occupational hygiene measurements (indoor climate, lighting and electrostatic conditions). Considerable differences were found between VDT operators and referents and also between sexes. Indications were obtained of a possible relationship between eye discomfort and luminance ratios in the working field of vision. Otherwise, no association could be established between occupational exposure factors and subjective eye discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, or skin disorders.

On the possible involvement of sulphomucopolysaccharides in the storage of catecholamines within the central nervous system.

Rats treated at birth with 6-OH DA were sacrificed in adult age 24 h after an injection of 3H-NA. Synaptosomes were isolated from the cerebral cortex, the hypothalamus, the pons-medulla region and the cerebellum. The similar distribution pattern of 3H-NA and 35S on gradient centrifugation of the synaptosome preparations, the similar effect of 6-OHDA on the uptake of 3H-NA into slices of brain tissue in vitro and on their 35S content as well as the identification of chondroitin and heparan sulphate in the synaptosome fractions are observations which indicate a possible function of SMPSs in the storage of NA in adrenergic terminals.

No role for zinc in the storage of histamine in rat peritoneal mast cells.

The histamine in the granules of mast cells has been proposed to be stored as a heparin-zinc-histamine complex. Due to its chelating action zinc should increase (double) the histamine binding capacity of heparin. We have determined the zinc content of isolated rat peritoneal mast cells to 2.4-4.1 nmol/10-6 cells and of their granules to 13.3-21.4 nmol/mg dry weight. The corresponding amounts of histamine were 150 and 680 nmol respectively. The zinc content found is far (20 times) too low to allow for an adequate binding of histamine in a heparin-zinc-histamine complex. In vitro the granules take up zinc in the same manner as they take up other cations and zinc competes with histamine for granule storage sites. Consequently, Hi-uptake is reduced and not enhanced in the presence of zinc in the suspension medium. In summary no evidence was found for a storage function of zinc in a heparin-zinc-histamine complex.