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. 2012 Feb;54(2):198-201.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31823fdf53.

The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in Latino poultry-processing workers and other Latino manual workers

Michael S Cartwright  1 , Francis O Walker, Jill N Blocker, Mark R Schulz, Thomas A Arcury, Joseph G Grzywacz, Dana Mora, Haiying Chen, Antonio J Marín, Sara A Quandt
Affiliations

The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in Latino poultry-processing workers and other Latino manual workers

Michael S Cartwright et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2012 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in Latino poultry-processing workers.

Methods: Symptoms and nerve conduction studies were used to prospectively assess 287 Latino poultry-processing workers and 226 Latinos in other manual-labor occupations.

Results: The prevalence of CTS was higher in poultry-processing (8.7%) compared with nonpoultry manual workers (4.0%; P < 0.0001). The adjusted odds ratio for the prevalence of CTS in poultry workers was 2.51 (95% confidence interval, 1.80-3.50) compared with nonpoultry workers. Within the poultry workers, those who performed packing, sanitation, and chilling had a trend toward less CTS than those who performed tasks requiring more repetitive and strenuous hand movements.

Discussion: Latino poultry-processing workers have a high prevalence of CTS, which likely results from the repetitive and strenuous nature of the work.

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