Table 2
General description and shoulder pain estimates stratified by age of the 21 included studies, grouped by occupation type and ranked by methodological quality
1st Author
Year [Reference]Quality score (/7) Country of study Type of occupation (n) Collection Mode Definition of shoulder pain Duration of recall Age groups (n) Prevalence (%), Incidence or OR Direction of estimates b Physically active occupations Kim
2015 [31]
7 South Korea Cameramen (166) Nordic styled questionnaire Pain for at least one day a month, or for at least seven consecutive days in the past year. 12 months 30–39 (35)
40–49 (66)
≥50 (65)
8.6
13.6
18.5
*p > 0.05
↗gradient Freimann
2013 [30]
7 Estonia Nurses (221) Self-administered CUPID questionnaire Shoulder pain (body diagram) lasting longer than a day a during the past year and past month. 12 months 23–29
30–39
40–49
50–59
§
OR:
1
3.2 (0.9–11.9)
5.1 (1.3–19.6)
6.2 (1.4–26.9)
↗ Armed Forces
2013 [29]
7 U.S.A Military (NR) Hospital and outpatient medical records Several ICD-9 codes for acute and chronic shoulder conditions. 10 year Incidence a < 20
20–24
25–29
30–34
35–39
40–44
45–49
≥50
§
Acute:
13.5
13.7
13.8
12.9
13.6
14.7
15.9
15.8
Chronic:
15.8
19.2
25.2
29.5
41.6
54.7
65.3
71.0
↗ Moon
2019 [38]
6 South Korea Food service workers (1581) KOSHA self-administered questionnaire, history taking by occupational physicians, and physical Rotator-Cuff Syndrome 12 months < 50 (591)
≥50 (990)
¥
6.6
10.3
*p > 0.05
↗ Sombatsawat
2019 [39]
5 Thailand Farm workers (156) Clinician administered Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in region of body diagram. 6 months 18–50 (93)
51–65 (63)
OR
1
1.49 (0.61–3.67)
p = 0.38
↗ Sekkay
2018 [37]
6 Canada Truck drivers (123) ESQ98 (Modified Nordic) Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months < 50 (54)
≥50 (66)
13
24.2
*p > 0.05
↗ Dianat
2017 [36]
6 Iran Surgeons (312) Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months < 40 (102)
40–50 (106)
> 50 (104)
34.3
39.6
46.2
*p > 0.05
↗ Alrowayeh
2010 [28]
6 State of Kuwait Physical therapists (222) Self-administered Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months 20–30 (45)
31–40 (112)
41–50 (27)
≥50 (28)
4.2
7.0
0.9
0.9
p = 0.85
= Guo
2004 [14]
6 Taiwan Retail industry (18,942) Questionnaire Body diagram 12 months < 18
18–24
25–34
35–44
45–54
55–64
> 64
§
♂ 9.5, ♀ 12.5
♂ 10.5, ♀ 11.0
♂ 12.5, ♀ 15.0
♂ 15.0, ♀ 16.0
♂ 18.0, ♀ 17.5
♂ 22.0, ♀ 19.0
♂ 17.0, ♀ 17.5
†
↗ Eriksen
2003 [22]
6 Norway Nurse’s aides (6485) Modified Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 2 weeks < 30 (504)
30–39 (1318)
40–49 (2612)
50–59 (1763)
> 59 (283)
39.7
45.1
47.7
49.6
47.0
*p < 0.05
= D’Agostin
2017 [35]
5 Italy Nurses (177) Modified Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months > 34 (45)
35–54 (110)
> 55 (22)
31.1
37.1
45.5
*p > 0.05
↗ Luime
2004 [24]
5 The Netherlands Nursing home/ elderly care workers (556) Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months < 30 (94)
30–39 (154)
40–49 (192)
50–65 (116)
OR:
1
0.95 (0.47–1.93)
1.72 (0.89–3.29)
1.14 (0.51–2.52)
↘ Leclerc
2004 [23]
5 France Assembly line, clothing, food industry (598) Questionnaire Body diagram 6 months ≤29 (117)
30–39 (225)
40–49 (203)
≥50 (53)
♂ 34, ♀ 31
♂ 32, ♀ 49
♂ 46, ♀ 51
♂ 60, ♀ 65
†
↗ Backman
1983 [13]
4 Finland Professional Drivers (1156) Questionnaire Self-reported 1 month 30–34
35–39
40–44
45–49
50–54
§
65.0
63.0
68.0
72.0
78.0
↗ Min
2016 [33]
4 South Korea Farmers (1013) KOSHA self-administered questionnaire Pain (body diagram) for at least one day a month, or for at least seven consecutive days in the past year. 12 months < 65 (798)
≥65 (215)
43.6
40.5
p = 0.41
↘ Haukka et al.
2006 [25]
4 Finland Kitchen workers (495) Self-administered questionnaire Body diagram 3 months ≤40 (148)
41–50 (185)
≥50 (162)
22 (15.3–28.7)
34 (27.2–40.8)
44 (36.3–51.6)
p < 0.005
↗ Ueno
1999 [21]
4 Japan Construction workers (2289) Questionnaire Self-reported Point 20–24 (107)
25–29 (197)
30–34 (207)
35–39 (236)
40–44 (337)
45–49 (372)
50–54 (295)
55–59 (247)
60–64 (215)
65–69 (76)
11.0
18.0
22.0
24.0
27.0
37.0
40.0
33.0
32.0
29.0
†
↗ Stucchi
2016 [34]
3 Italy Retail sector (3359) Interview Shoulder region diagnoses (rotator cuff/bicep tendinopathy and subacromial bursitis). 12 months 15–24 (89)
25–34 (623)
35–44 (1372)
45–54 (1061)
55–64 (214)
OR:
0 cases
1
1.85 (1.19–2.86)
3.13 (2.04–4.82)
6.35 (3.87–10.42)
p < 0.01
↗ Sedentary occupations Kalinene
2016 [32]
7 Lithuania Computer workers (513) Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months 23–29 (55)
30–39 (91)
40–49 (149)
50–70 (218)
34.5
46.2
50.3
56.4
*p < 0.05
↗ Janwantanakul
2008 [27]
6 Thailand Office workers (1185) Self-administered Modified Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months > 30 (346)
30–39 (494)
40–49 (262)
> 49 (83)
16.0
14.0
19.0
14.0
*p > 0.05
↘ D’Agostin
2017 [35]
5 Italy University staff -computer use (185) Modified Nordic Questionnaire Trouble^ in shoulder region of body diagram. 12 months > 34 (63)
35–54 (96)
> 55 (26)
22.2
30.2
19.2
*p > 0.05
↘ Leroyer
2006 [26]
2 France Administration (759) Clinician-administered questionnaire Self-reported 1 week ≤30 (146)
31–40 (249)
41–50 (271)
≥51 (93)
13.7
15.7
25.8
26.9
p < 0.01
↗
OR odds ratio, NR not reported
^ Trouble includes ache, pain, discomfort, or numbness
aIncidence rates per 1000 person-years
bDirection estimates are comparing those < 50 and those ≥50
§ Study does not provide (n) per group
¥ Study only included female workers
* p-value only reported > or < 0.05
†p-value not reported