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Men and Women's Occupational Activities and the Risk of Developing Osteoarthritis of the Knee, Hip, or Hands: A Systematic Review and Recommendations for Future Research
Author(s) -
Gignac Monique A. M.,
Irvin Emma,
Cullen Kim,
Van Eerd Dwayne,
Beaton Dorcas E.,
Mahood Quenby,
McLeod Chris,
Backman Catherine L.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.23855
Subject(s) - medicine , physical therapy , cinahl , osteoarthritis , squatting position , sitting , stair climbing , physical medicine and rehabilitation , cochrane library , medline , systematic review , meta analysis , psychological intervention , alternative medicine , pathology , psychiatry , political science , law
Objective To systematically review the evidence for an increased risk of osteoarthritis in the hip, knee, hand, wrist, finger, ankle, foot, shoulder, neck, and spine related to diverse occupational activities of men and women and to examine dose‐response information related to the frequency, intensity, and duration of work exposures and the risk of osteoarthritis ( OA ). Methods Established guidelines for systematic reviews in occupational health and safety studies were followed. MEDLINE , Embase, CINAHL , and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to December 2017. Studies were reviewed for relevance, quality was appraised, and data were extracted and synthesized. Results Sixty‐nine studies from 23 countries yielded strong and moderate evidence for lifting, cumulative physical loads, full‐body vibration, and kneeling/squatting/bending as increasing the risks of developing OA in men and women. Strong and moderate evidence existed for no increased risk of OA related to sitting, standing, and walking (hip and knee OA ), lifting and carrying (knee OA ), climbing ladders (knee OA ), driving (knee OA ), and highly repetitive tasks (hand OA ). Variability in dose‐response data resulted in an inability to synthesize these data. Conclusion Evidence points to the potential for OA occupational recommendations and practice considerations to be developed for women and men. However, research attention is needed to overcome deficits in the measurement and recall of specific work activities so that recommendations and practice considerations can provide the specificity needed to be adopted in workplaces.