Original article Occupation and epicondylitis: a population-based study

Objective. To explore the relationship between occupational exposures and lateral and medial epicon-dylitis, and the effect of epicondylitis on sickness absence in a population sample of working-aged adults. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study of 9696 randomly selected adults aged 2564 years involving a screening questionnaire and standardized physical examination. Age- and sex-specific prevalence rates of epicondylitis were estimated and associations with occupational risk factors explored. Results. Among 6038 respondents, 636 (11%) reported elbow pain in the last week. Of those surveyed, 0.7 % were diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis and 0.6 % with medial epicondylitis. Lateral epicondylitis was associated with manual work [odds ratio (OR) 4.0, 95 % CI 1.9, 8.4]. In multivariate analyses, repetitive bending/straightening elbow>1 h day was independently associated with lateral (OR 2.5, 95 % CI 1.2, 5.5) and medial epicondylitis (OR 5.1, 95 % CI 1.8, 14.3). Five per cent of adults with epicondylitis took sick-ness absence because of their elbow symptoms in the past 12 months (median 29 days). Conclusion. Repetitive exposure to bending/straightening the elbow was a significant risk factor for medial and lateral epicondylitis. Epicondylitis is associated with prolonged sickness absence in 5 % of affected working-aged adults. Key words: lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis, epidemiology, occupation, sickness absence