Academic research confirms health problems can be caused by computer use

Thousands of housing association office workers use a computer. However, a review by Dutch academics of the published literature concluded there is a positive association between the duration of mouse use and hand-arm symptoms. They looked for evidence for a relation between the duration of work time spent using the computer and the incidence of hand-arm and neck-shoulder symptoms and disorders. A systematic search was undertaken for articles on the subject, and articles were selected that showed a risk estimate for the duration of computer use, included an outcome measure related to hand-arm or neck-shoulder symptoms or disorders, and had a longitudinal study design.

From the identified articles, moderate evidence was concluded for a positive association between the duration of mouse use and hand-arm symptoms. For this association, indications for a dose-response relationship were found. Risk estimates were in general stronger for the hand-arm region than for the neck-shoulder region, and stronger for mouse use than for total computer use and keyboard use.

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