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Abstract Number: 2194

The Association Between Arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: National Health Interview Survey, 2010

Nancy A. Baker, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Meeting: 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: September 28, 2016

Keywords: Co-morbidities, Employment and carpal tunnel syndrome

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Session Information

Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Session Title: Epidemiology and Public Health - ARHP Poster

Session Type: ACR Poster Session C

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is associated with high-repetition, forceful jobs. Additionally, non-occupational factors, such as arthritis, have been associated with CTS. There is conflicting evidence about the association between arthritis and CTS1, probably due to studies with small samples, obtained from medical clinics rather than the general population, and “work-related” CTS populations. We used data from the 2010 National Health Information Survey (NHIS), representative of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population, to determine the risk for CTS for people with arthritis after controlling for occupational and non-occupational factors.

Methods: We analyzed adults (age 18-65). CTS cases were defined as “Have you EVER been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have a condition affecting the wrist and hand called carpal tunnel syndrome?” Arthritis and diabetes were self-reported in a similar fashion. Obesity was those with Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30, and smoking as those who never or ever smoked. To identify occupational type, respondents were categorized in five major Standard Occupational Classification System categories (SOC): 1) Management, professional, and related; 2) Sales and office; 3) Service; 4) Natural resources, construction and maintenance; and 5) Production, transportation, and material moving, each of which represent progressively greater exposure to high-repetition, forceful jobs. We completed a logistical regression using appropriate NHIS weights: Step 1 included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and employment status; Step 2 the SOC; Step 3 arthritis and other co-morbidities. NHIS weights were applied to all analyses.

Results: Of our sample of 22,012 adults, 7.5% (95%CI: 7.0, 7.9) had CTS. Older adults and females were more likely to report CTS, while Hispanic/Non-Hispanic Other were less likely than Non-Hispanic Whites (See Table 1). Only respondents working in Production were significantly more likely to report CTS than those in Management (OR 1.4: (95% CI 1.1, 1.8) (Table 1). Diabetes, obesity, and smoking were all independent risk factors for CTS, with odds ratios ranging from 1.3 to 1.5. The arthritis odds ratio was 3.1 (95%CI 2.7, 3.5).

Table 1: Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for adults with and without CTS: NHIS 2010
Variable OR (95% CI)
Age: 35-65 (referent: 18-34) 3.2 (2.6, 3.9)
Sex: Female (referent: Male) 2.6 (2.2, 3.0)
Race/ethnicity (referent: Non-Hispanic White)
Hispanic 0.7 (0.6, 0.9)
Non-Hispanic Black 1.0 (0.8, 1.2)
Non-Hispanic Other 0.6 (0.4, 0.9)
Education: > College (referent: <College) 1.0 (0.9, 1.2)
Employment: Employed (referent: Not employed) 0.9 (0.8, 1.0)
SOC category: (referent: Management)
Sales and office 1.2 (1.0, 1.4)
Service 1.1 (0.9, 1.4)
Natural resources, construction and maintenance 1.2 (0.9, 1.6)
Production, transportation, and material moving 1.4 (1.1, 1.8)
Arthritis: arthritis (referent: no arthritis) 3.1 (2.7, 3.5)
Diabetes: diabetes (referent: no diabetes) 1.5 (1.2, 1.8)
Obesity: BMI >30 (referent: BMI ≤30) 1.3 (1.2, 1.5)
Smoke: ever smoked (referent: never smoked) 1.4 (1.2, 1.6)

Conclusion: Respondents with arthritis were 3 times more likely to report CTS than those without arthritis, and were at similar risk as older adults. Non-occupational factors such as diabetes, obesity and smoking are as likely to be risk factors for CTS as jobs that require high repetition and forceful hand exertions. While both occupation and non-occupational factors are important risk factors for CTS, arthritis is one of the prime risk factor for CTS in the general population. References: 1. Burger MC, et al. Non-Occupational Risk Factors for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Review. Women’s Health Bull. 2016;3(2):e34820.


Disclosure: N. A. Baker, None;

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Baker NA. The Association Between Arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: National Health Interview Survey, 2010 [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016; 68 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/the-association-between-arthritis-and-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-national-health-interview-survey-2010/. Accessed February 2, 2023.
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