Table 4

Odds ratios (OR) for becoming a new symptom forearm case during follow up for those with no or mild symptoms at baseline

OR (95% CI)
Model I* n=4305Model II† n=4408Model III‡ n=4190Model IV§ n=4340 (64 cases)
*Model including time variables and physical workplace factors.
†Model including time variables and psychosocial factors.
‡Model including time variables and personal characteristics.
§Final model, which includes time variables and all other parameters from model I to III with p<0.10.
Physical workplace factors
Hours per week with mouse in right hand
    0–91111
    10–191.8 (0.9 to 3.9)2.2 (1.0 to 4.6)1.9 (0.9 to 4.1)2.2 (1.0 to 4.7)
    20–291.8 (0.7 to 4.6)2.5 (1.0 to 6.1)2.2 (0.9 to 5.7)2.6 (1.0 to 6.6)
    ⩾306.8 (2.1 to 23)8.8 (2.6 to 29)6.8 (1.7 to 27)8.4 (2.5 to 29)
No arm support (mouse)1
Arm support (mouse) <50% time0.4 (0.1 to 1.3)
Arm support (mouse) ⩾50% time0.7 (0.3 to 2.0)
Abnormal mouse position1.5 (0.6 to 3.6)
Keyboard time in hours per week
    0–41111
    5–91.3 (0.5 to 3.2)1.2 (0.5 to 3.0)1.8 (0.7 to 4.8)1.2 (0.5 to 2.9)
    10–141.4 (0.5 to 3.7)1.4 (0.5 to 3.6)2.0 (0.7 to 5.8)1.3 (0.5 to 3.4)
    ⩾152.4 (0.9 to 6.7)2.4 (0.9 to 6.6)2.6 (0.8 to 8.4)2.6 (0.9 to 7.3)
No arm support (keyboard)1
Arm support (keyboard) <50% time1.1 (0.5 to 2.5)
Arm support (keyboard) ⩾50% time1.2 (0.6 to 2.3)
Abnormal keyboard position1.2 (0.6 to 2.6)
Not satisfied with workplace design1.1 (0.4 to 2.7)
Work chair not adjusted0.8 (0.1 to 6.0)
Work desk not adjusted0.6 (0.3 to 1.4)
Psychosocial workplace factors
High demands1.8 (1.0 to 3.3)1.9 (1.0 to 3.4)
Low control1.0 (0.5 to 1.7)
Low social support1.1 (0.6 to 2.0)
Time pressure1.8 (1.0 to 3.3)1.7 (0.9 to 3.1)
Personal characteristics
Negative affectivity1.8 (0.9 to 3.7)1.6 (0.8 to 3.1)
Type A behaviour1.3 (0.5 to 3.0)
Age (10 years increment)1.4 (1.0 to 1.9)1.4 (1.1 to 2.0)
Female gender1.9 (0.9 to 4.1)2.2 (1.1 to 4.5)
BMI <19 kg/m21.1 (0.3 to 4.7)
BMI ⩾27 kg/m20.7 (0.2 to 2.9)
Poor social network1.3 (0.5 to 3.1)
High physical leisure activity0.6 (0.3 to 1.1)
Chronic disease2.0 (0.8 to 4.9)
Pain started after accident2.4 (0.6 to 10)
Hosmer-Lemeshow’s goodness of fit test with 10 groups: p value0.700.660.760.14