Hands and Health: Quantifying Occupational Exposures and Implications of Disability

Introduction: Hand grip strength (HGS) has been negatively correlated with both biologic, cognitive, and mental health markers. Aim one investigated how occupational metabolic equivalents (OMETs), impacted HGS. Aim two investigated lost time from work and the association with HGS. Finally, aim three investigated the health outcomes of workers’ compensation claimants who have lost time from work, following diagnosis of CTS. Results:HGS was positively associated with OMET (rs = 0.078, p = 0.009). Linear regression model demonstrated a statistically significant association between HGS and OMETs, F(1, 31) = 9.735, p = .001. Aim two found that all occupation groups had a statistically significant lower HGS compared to the referent group of Working No Impairment, even after controlling for age category and gender. Aim three found that individuals with lost-time had a statistically significant (p = 0.04) association with an increased likelihood of all-cause death at the time of follow-up (IRR=1.3) 95% CI [1.004, 1.68]. For claimants with a permanent disability, there was statistically significant association (p Discussion: Since HGS is correlated with many health markers, these findings add to emerging research highlighting the deleterious health effects of lost work. Extended time away from work, as prescribed during recovery from injury, should be utilized with caution to mitigate the impact of occupational deprivation