Fabio de Oliveira
R ep etitiv e strain in ju ry in a d ata p ro cessin g
d ep artm en t o f a b an k
*Nucleo de lnvestigafoes
em Trabalho e Sallde do lnstituto
de Sallde
**Centro de Referenda
em Sallde do Trabalhador da Secreta ria de Estado da
Saude de Slio Paulo
T h e o b je c tiv e o f th e p re s e n t s tu d y w a s to v e rify th e p re v a le n c e o f R e p e titiv e S tra in In ju ry (R S I) d ia g n o s is in a d a ta p ro c e s s in g d e p a rtm e n t o f a c o m p a n y in th e b a n k in g b u s i-n e s s . T h is c o m p a i-n y e m p lo y e d 2 ,8 9 8 p e o p le , a n d th e s tu d y w a s c o n d u c te d b y a s u rv e illa n c e p ro c e s s .
T h ro u g h in s p e c tio n p ro c e d u re s a n d m e e tin g s w ith re p -re s e n ta tiv e s o f th e w o rk e rs a n d fro m th e c o m p a n y , a h y p o th -e s is w a s fo rm -e d th a t c -e rta in o ffic -e s (1 ,5 7 2 p -e o p l-e ) w ith in th -e c o m p a n y h a d a h ig h e r p re v a le n c e o f R S I th a n th e o th e r o f-fic e s (1 ,4 1 6 ).
T o te s t th is h y p o th e s is , a q u e s tio n n a ire fo r s e lf-re p o rte d c o m p la in ts w a s s e t u p . T h is q u e s tio n n a ire in c lu d e d : n o n s p e -c ifi-c d a ta a b o u t th e s u b je c ts p e rs o n a l la b o r h is to ry , o s te o m u s c u la r c o m p la in ts , c h a n g e s in e v e ry d a y h a b its d u e to s y m p -to m s , a m e n ta l h e a lth s c re e n in g (S R Q -2 0 ), v is u a l c o m p la in ts a n d th e u s e o f m e d ic a tio n .
T h is q u e s tio n n a ire w a s a p p lie d ra n d o m ly in th e s a m p le a t ris k th a t w a s d iv id e d b y g e n d e r a n d a g e (g ro u p I). A n a g e -a n d g e n d e r-m -a tc h e d c o n tro l g ro u p th a t in c lu d e d th e re m a in -in g p e o p le fro m th e s a m e o ffic e s w a s u s e d fo r c o m p a ris o n (g ro u p 2 ).
In th e p o p u la tio n s tu d ie d :
6 3 .9 % w e re m a le s a n d 3 6 .1 % w e re fe m a le s . A g e d is trib u tio n w a s :
- 3 .4 % o f th e s a m p le : 1 8 to 2 0 y e a rs o ld ; - 3 8 .3 % o f th e s a m p le : 1 2 to 3 0 y e a rs o ld ; - 4 1 .9 % o f th e s a m p le : 3 1 to 4 0 y e a rs o ld ; - 1 4 .1 % o f th e s a m p le : 4 1 to 5 0 y e a rs o ld ; - 1 .0 % o f th e s a m p le : 5 1 y e a rs o ld o r o ld e r.
C o m p a rin g g ro u p s 1 a n d 2 , a p re d o m in a n c e o f s u b je c ts (3 7 % ) w ith a h ig h s c h o o l d ip lo m a w a s e v id e n t in g ro u p I, w h e re a s in g ro u p 2 , a p re d o m in a n c e o f s u b je c ts (6 4 .4 % ) w ith a c o lle g e d e g re e w a s re c o rd e d .
A s fo r th e g ro u p 1 a n d 2 p o s itio n s , it w a s o b s e rv e d th a t: - s e rv ic e s o p e ra to r/c le a rin g c le rk a n d d a ta e n try p e r- . s o n n e l w e re p o s itio n s e x c lu s iv e to g ro u p 1
- s c rib e /a d m in is tra tiv e a s s is ta n t, re p re s e n ta tiv e o p e ra -to r, s e rv ic e te c h n ic ia n , o p e ra tio n a l s e rv ic e te c h n ic ia n U u n io r a n d s e n io r), m a n a g e r/s e rv ic e d ire c to r/s e rv ic e m a n a g e r/s u p e
r-in te n d e n t w e re p o s itio n s th a t p re d o m in a te d in g ro u p 1 . - E n g in e e r, c o m p u te r te c h n ic ia n a n d s y s te m s m a n a g e r/ s y s te m s c o o rd in a to r w e re p o s itio n s e x c lu s iv e to g ro u p 2 .
- S e c re ta ry , a n a ly s t, p ro g ra m m e r a n d c o m p u te r p ro -d u c tio n a n a ly s t w e re p o s itio n s th a t p re d o m in a te d in g ro u p 2 . T h e d a ta a b o v e d o n o t re p re s e n t a ll th e p o s itio n s th a t e x is t in th a t d a ta p ro c e s s in g d e p a rtm e n t. It s h o w s , h o w e v e r, th e p o s itio n s th a t c o m p ris e d th e s a m p le a re th e m a in p o s i-tio n s e x is tin g in th a t d a ta p ro c e s s in g d e p a rtm e n t.
T h e re is n o s ig n ific a n t d iffe re n c e b e tw e e n th e a v e ra g e tim e le n g th in th e p o s itio n fo r g ro u p I (6 .8 4 y e a rs ) a n d 2 (6 .9 6 y e a rs ).A s ig n ific a n tly la rg e r n u m b e r o f s u b j'e c ts fro m g ro u p I h a d a p re v io u s p o s itio n w ith in th e s a m e d a ta p ro c e s s -in g d e p a rtm e n t (p < 0 .0 5 ). H o w e v e r, in g ro u p I, th e re a re n o s ig n ific a n t d iffe re n c e s in d ic a tin g th a t th e s e fo rm e r p o s itio n s re q u ire d a n y ty p e o f re p e titiv e m o v e m e n ts . L ik e w is e , n o s ig -n ific a -n t a s s o c ia tio -n w a s re c o rd e d re g a rd in g a p re v io u s p o s i-tio n e ls e w h e re in a n o th e r c o m p a n y w h e re re p e titiv e m o v e -m e n ts w e re re q u ire d (1 6 .3 % fo r g ro u p 1 a n d 2 0 .0 % fo r g ro u p 2 ). N o s ta tis tic a lly s ig n ific a n t c o rre la tio n w a s fo u n d fo r th e ite m re g a rd in g w o rk in g a t a s e c o n d jo b (g ro u p 1 g a v e a 4 .8 % p o s itiv e a n s w e r, a n d 2 .6 % in g ro u p 2 ). L ik e w is e , n o s ta tis ti-c a lly s ig n ifiti-c a n t ti-c o rre la tio n w a s re c o rd e d fo r th e ite m re g a rd -in g re p e titiv e m o v e m e n ts in th is s e c o n d jo b . A s ig n ific a n t h ig h e r fre q u e n c y (p < O .O OI) o f p o s itiv e 'a n s w e rs in g ro u p 1 w a s re c o rd e d fo r w o rk in g o v e rtim e (4 3 .4 % o f th e s a m p le in g ro u p I w o rk e d o v e rtim e a s o p p o s e d to 2 3 .5 o /~ in g ro u p 2 ). A s ig n ific a n t d iffe re n c e (p < 0 .0 5 ) w a s fo u n d in th e s e lf-im a g e o f th e ir p ro fe s s io n a l a c tiv ity re q u irin g re p e titiv e m o v e m e n ts (6 7 .4 % a n d 6 0 .4 % fo r g ro u p s I a n d 2 , re s p e c tiv e ly ).
A s ig n ific a n t c o rre la tio n w a s n o t re c o rd e d re g a rd in g o th e r a c tiv itie s o u ts id e th e w o rk p la c e re q u irin g re p e titiv e m o v e m e n ts fo r g ro u p s I a n d 2 (2 6 .4 % a n d 2 6 .9 % o f th e s u b -je c ts in g ro u p 1 a n d 2 , re s p e c tiv e ly , e x e rte d re p e titiv e m o v e
-m e n ts o u ts id e th e w o rk p la c e ).
A s fo r th e o s te o -m u s c u la r c o m p la in ts , th e a u th o rs fo u n d a s ig n ific a n tly h ig h e r fre q u e n c y o f re s p o n s e s n e a rly e v e ry d a y o r o n c e in a w h ile in g ro u p I. P a in s ite s a n d c o m p la in t ty p e s w e re :
- p a in in th e le g s (p < O .O O I);
- pain and fatigue/heaviness in the arm s (p<O .O O I); - pain and stiffness in the w rists (p<O .O O I); - tingling/num bness in the w rists (p<O .05); - tiredness/heaviness in the hands (p<O .O O I);
- pain, stiffness, lack of strength and tingling/num b-ness in the hands (p<O .05). The significantly m ore frequent
com plaint for group 2 w as neck stiffness (p<O .05).
The answ er nearly every day alone show ed statistically higher frequencies for group 1 for the follow ing com plaints:
- back pain (p<O .O O I); - pain in the legs (p<O .O O I); - pain in the arm s (p<O .05); - stiffness in the w rists (p<O .O O I);
- tiredness and lack of strength in the hands.
N o statistically higher frequencies w ere recorded for group 2.
N o statistically higher frequencies w ere found for: - neck pain;
- stiffness in the back;
- tiredness/w eight and tingling/num bness in the legs;
- pain (p<O .05), tiredness/w eight, tingling/num bness in the shoulders;
- tingling/num bness in the arm s.
The statistical analyses dem onstrate a significant corre-lation betw een belonging to group I and tim e off for m edical treatm ent (p<O .05) or a visit to an em ergency room due to the com plaints. Likew ise, the statistical analysis dem onstrates a
significant correlation for the use of pain killers (p<O .05 sig-nificant for nearly every day and once in a w hile responses).
W hen the authors com pare the nearly every day type of
re-sponse w ith the other rere-sponses, a statistically significant dif-ference is found for use of sedative/tranquilizer m edication as w ell as com plaints about problem s w ith concentration
(p<O .05 for both item s).
N o statistically significant difference w as found for both
groups regarding the SR Q -20. O ther correlations should be further investigated regarding this item .
In sum m ary, in group I the repetitive activities predom i-nates as confirm ed by m eans of survey procedures at the data
processing office. In the com parision perform ed in this in-vestigation, the authors recorded that the personnel from the offices considered at risk for R SI w ere transferred from of-fices w ithin the data processing departm ent. These subjects
declared overtim e m ore frequently, a self-aw areness of about their w ork-related activity requiring m ore repetitive m ove-m ents than the control group. Several osteo-m uscular com -plaints w ere m entioned by group I subjects. These com plaints w ere statistically m ore frequent than in the control group. This indicates a larger body of adverse consequences to the health
in group I subjects as opposed to the control group. G roup I subjects recorded m ore often tim e off for m edical treatm ent, m ore frequent visits to an em ergency room because of pain and other sym ptom s. A nalgesic m edication use on a nearly everyday basis or once in a w hile w as also statistically m ore
frequent in group I than in the control group. W hen the nearly every day frequency is considered alone, the inform ation about troubles w ith concentration or use of tranquilizing m edica-tion show s a statistically significant difference for group I.
