Table 3 Qualitative overview of incidence of WMSDs in secondary industries of Europe

Chen et al. 2006 [44]

Cohort: 1996–2001

Food and organic products, petrochemical, metals, and automotive industry – UK

Occupational physicians

Not further specified

75% of occupational physicians of OPRA

Not retrievable

Upper limb = 1827/million persons-year; FOM

Neck/Back = 792/million persons-year; FOM

Lower limb = 121/million persons-year; FOM

Upper limb = 1945/million persons-year; PRP

Neck/Back = 517/million persons-year; PRP

Lower limb = 49/million persons-year; PRP

Upper limb = 5618/million persons-year; MAP

Neck/Back = 1886/million persons-year; MAP

Lower limb = 317/million persons-year; MAP

Could not be calculated

Cherry et al. 2000 [47]

Cohort: 1996–2001

Food and organic products, petrochemical, metals, and automotive industry – UK

Occupational physicians

Not further specifie

75% of occupational physicians of OPRA

Not mentioned

Hand/Wrist/Arm = 708; FOM

Hand/Wrist/Arm = 960; PRP

Hand/Wrist/Arm = 1092; MM

Hand/Wrist/Arm = 1164; AM

Lumbar Spine/Trunk = 384; FOM

Lumbar Spine/Trunk = 276; PRP

Lumbar Spine/Trunk = 300; MM

Lumbar Spine/Trunk = 684; AM

Elbow = 264; FOM

Elbow = 348; PRP

Elbow = 348; MM

Elbow = 516; AM

Shoulder = 300; AM

Could not be calculated

Cherry et al. 2001 [46]

Cohort: October 1997–September 2000

Food and organic products, petrochemical, metals, and automotive industry - UK and Scotland

Rheumatologists

Not further specified

80% of the society’s membership of rheumatologists.

Not mentioned

Upper Limb = 690; FOM

Upper Limb = 144; PRP

Upper Limb = 228; MM

Upper Limb = 201; AM

Lower Limb = 57; FOM

Lower Limb = /; PRP

Lower Limb = 36; MM

Lower Limb = 12; AM

Neck/Back = 192; FOM

Neck/Back = 51; PRP

Neck/Back = 30; MM

Neck/Back = 12; AM

Could not be calculated

Cherry et al. 2002 [45]

Cohort: 1996–2001

Food and organic material manufacturing, petrochemical, rubber and plastics manufacturing, metallic and automotive products manufacturing - UK and Scotland

Occupational physicians

Not further specified

Not mentioned

Not mentioned

Upper limb F = 217/million persons-year; FOM

Upper limb F = 342/million persons-year; PRP

Upper limb F = 598/million persons-year; MAP

Back F = 48/million persons-year; FOM

Back F = 172/million persons-year; MAP

Upper limb M = 106/million persons-year; FOM

Upper limb M = 104/million persons-year; PRP

Upper limb M = 443/million persons-year; MAP

Back M = 79/million persons-year; FOM

Back M = 42/million persons-year; PRP

Back M = 153/million persons-year; MAP

Lower Limb M = 28/million persons-year; MAP

Could not be calculated

Descatha et al. 2007 [48]

Cohort: 1996–2000

Shoe industry – France

Occupational physician

Interview

Physical examination

66%

T = 166

T = 66.3%; <  45 years

T = 33.7%; ≥ 45 years

F = 60.8%

M = 39.2%

UWMSD

F = 0.238; 1996–1997

M = 0.296; 1996–1997

T < 45y = 0.23; 1996–1997

T ≥ 45 years = 0.33; 1996–1997

F = 0,08; 1997–2000

M = 0.08; 1997–2000

T < 45y = 0.08; 1997–2000

T ≥ 45 years = 0.09; 1997–2000

0.26; 1996–1997

0.08; 1997–2000

Ha et al. 2009 [51]

Cross-sectional: April 2002–April 200

Food and drink, garment, shoe and leather, manufacture of wood and wood products, manufacture of pulp, paper and paper products, publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media, chemical, manufacture of rubber and plastic products, manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products, manufacture of basic metals, manufacture of fabricated metal products manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified, manufacture of electrical and optical equipment, manufacture of motor vehicles, manufacture of other transport equipment, manufacture of furniture and wood, recycling industry – France

Neurologists

Occupational physicians

Physical examinatio

17.4% of the occupational physicians

F = 113; FDI

F = 12; GI

F = 28; SLI

F = 6; WW

F = 12; PPP

F = 9; PPR

F = 2; CI

F = 45; PRP

F = 2; NMM

F = 6; BM

F = 11; FMP

F = 26; EON

F = 69; EO

F = 2; MM

F = 2; MOT

F = 45; FWI

F = 0; R

M = 182; FDI

M = 1; GI

M = 8; SLI

M = 24; WW

M = 52; PPP

M = 17; PPR

M = 8; CI

M = 84; PRP

M = 22; NMM

M = 23; BM

M = 91; FMP

M = 89; EON

M = 89; EO

M = 63; MM

M = 91; MOT

M = 57; FWI

M = 7; R

Carpal tunnel syndrome

F = 38; FDI

F = 13; GI

F = 30; SLI

F = 1; WW

F = 1; PPP

F = 5; PPR

F = 12; CI

F = 6; PRP

F = 0; NMM

F = 3; BM

F = 7; FMP

F = 0; EON

F = 23; EO

F = 12; MM

F = 0; MOT

F = 9; FWI

F = 1; R

M = 22; FDI

M = 1; GI

M = 11; SLI

M = 6; WW

M = 1; PPP

M = 2; PPR

M = 2; CI

M = 5; PRP

M = 0; NMM

M = 6; BM

M = 15; FMP

M = 7; EON

M = 8; EO

M = 10; MM

M = 0; MOT

M = 9; FWI

M = 0; R

Could not be calculated

Häkkänen et al. 2001 [49]

Cohort: January 1987–September 199

Transport industry – Finland

Occupational physicians

Physical examination

Not mentioned

T = 364

F = 55

M = 309

Upper Limb F = 0.2

Neck/Shoulder F = 0.35

Lower Back F = 0.24

Upper Limb M = 0.11

Neck/Shoulder M = 0.10

Lower Back M = 0.19

Upper limb = 0.13

Neck/Shoulder = 0.14

Lower Back = 0.19

Leclerc et al. 2001 [52]

Cohort: 1993—1994

1996–1997

Electrical, textile, food, and packaging industry – France

Self-report

Occupational health physician

Self-Administered Questionnaire

Physical examination

42.11%

T = 247; EO

T = 63; TI

T = 143; FI

T = 103; P

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome = 0.04; EO

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome = 0.06; TI

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome = 0.05; FI

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome = 0.03; P

Lateral Epicondylitis = 0.06; EO

Lateral Epicondylitis = 0.03; TI

Lateral Epicondylitis = 0.04; FI

Lateral Epicondylitis = 0.03; P

Wrist Tendinitis = 0.01; EO

Wrist Tendinitis = 0.02; TI

Wrist Tendinitis = 0.03; FI

Wrist Tendinitis = 0.03; P

Could not be calculated

Monaco et al. 2019 [50]

Retrospective cohort: January 2012–December 2015

Transport industry – Italy

Not mentioned

Reviewing medical records of health surveillance visits

Not mentioned

T = 171

T = 78 (45.6%); 25–34 years

T = 60 (35.1%); 35–44 years

T = 33 (19.3%); ≥ 45 years

F = 14 (8.2%)

M = 157 (91.8%)

Upper Limb T = 0.04

0.04

Ricco and Signorelli 2017 [53]

Cross-sectional:

January 2012

December 2013

Meat industry – Italy

Trained clinician

Full medical assessment

Ultrasonography and/or NCS in clinically possible cases

91.8%

T = 434; ȳ = 37.0 years

F = 198 (45.6%)

M = 236 (54.4%)

Carpal tunnel syndrome

F = 0.21

M = 0.11

0.14

Roquelaure et al. 2002 [54]

Cohort: 1996–1997

Shoe industry – France

Occupational physicians

Interview

Physical examination

90%

Year 1996:

T = 253; ȳ = 40.2 years

F = 158 (62%)

M = 95 (38%)

Year 1997:

T = 191; ȳ = 41.1 years

F = 117 (61%)

M = 74 (39%)

Tension Neck Syndrome T = 0.04 (n = 7); 1997

Rotator Cuff Syndrome T = 0.06 (n = 12); 1997

Medial Epicondylitis T = 0; 1997

Lateral Epicondylitis T = 0.02 (n = 4); 1997

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome T = 0.03 (n = 5); 1997

Radial Tunnel Syndrome T = 0.01 (n = 2); 1997

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome T = 0.12 (n = 23); 1997

Guyon’s Canal Syndrome T = 0.005 (n = 1); 1997

Hand-Wrist Tendinitis T = 0.03 (n = 6); 1997

Lateral epicondylitis = 0.02

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome = 0.12

Wrist Tendinitis = 0.03