Exposure
Hand-wrist (repetition, force, vibration, duration)
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The ratings of the exposure to hand-wrist were assessed by five experienced occupational physicians. They used cards displaying exposure data and job titles for 96 JEM groups. First 29 pre-assessed cards were sorted into five exposure categories, which served as benchmarks for rating the remaining 67 groups. The physicians then assigned scores (1-5) for wrist repetition, hand force, vibration, and computer work duration, adjusting the ratings as necessary.

Name: Hand-wrist

 

Coverage

96 job groups covering 91% of the 2227 occupational titles in DISCO-88.

Job Classification

The Danish version of The International Standard Classification of Occupations (DISCO-88).

Uncertainty in Exposure

The exposures were expert assessed. Though the JEM has fair to good interrater reliability.

Calendar Period
The exposure were assessed in 2021.
Demographics
None
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References & JEM developer
Key Developer: Jonathan Aavang Petersen

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Affiliation at the time of development: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2200 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.

Reference: 

  • Validity of an expert-based job exposure matrix of hand-wrist physical exposures and their prospective associations with carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Reliability and validity of expert assessments of hand‐wrist physical exposures
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Petersen JV, Lund CB, Flachs EM, Petersen R, Mikkelsen S, Thomsen JF. Validity of an expert-based job exposure matrix of hand-wrist physical exposures and their prospective associations with carpal tunnel syndrome. American Journal of Industraial Medicine 2024. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23651.

Mikkelsen S, Petersen R, Lund CB, Petersen JA, Thomsen JF. Reliability and validity of expert assessments of hand‐wrist physical exposures. Am J Ind Med. 2021;65(2):132‐142. doi:10.1002/ajim.23318

Inspiration from research projects on physical workload in DOC*X

Within DOC*X, several research projects investigate the relationship between physical workload and health, where the Hand-wrist job exposure matrix is one of the exposures applied.

Among these is research examining the association between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and wrist movements. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which a nerve running through the wrist becomes compressed. The study shows that the Hand-wrist JEM can identify known risk factors for CTS in line with current evidence. Furthermore, the research provides insight into how workload influences risk, how different types of exposures interact, and how repetitive movements and forceful exertions are interrelated.

These are just a few examples of the research conducted within the DOCX framework. Here you can find more information on other research projects using DOCX data.