“OCCUPATIONAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DE QUERVAIN DISEASE AMONG WORKERS RECEIVING CARE AT FAMILY MEDICINE UNIT No. 23”
Keywords:
De Quervain disease, Occupational factors, PrevalenceAbstract
INTRODUCTION
De Quervain disease is a musculoskeletal disorder affecting the first dorsal compartment of the wrist, involving the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons. It is characterized by pain in the radial region of the wrist, which may worsen when grasping objects, making a fist, or moving the thumb. In occupational settings, exposures related to repetitive movements, awkward postures, repetitive thumb use, hammering, and vibrating tools have been described. The objective of this study was to determine the occupational factors associated with De Quervain disease among workers receiving care at Family Medicine Unit No. 23.
METHOD OR PROCEDURE
An analytical, observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted through a review of the medical records of workers receiving care at the Occupational Medicine Department of Family Medicine Unit No. 23 "Morelos." A total of 86 workers were included, and sociodemographic and anthropometric variables, personal medical history, and occupational factors were analyzed, including keyboard use, hammering movements, repetitive movements, repetitive thumb use, vibrating tools, and working hours. Descriptive measures and association tests were applied according to the type and distribution of the variables. The chi-square test (χ²) was used, and the Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR) was estimated with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05.
RESULTS
A total of 86 workers were included; 72.1% were female, the mean age was 42.3 years, and 93% were occupationally active. The prevalence of De Quervain disease was 83.7% (72/86). Sex showed a statistically significant association with the presence of De Quervain disease (p = 0.008; POR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.06–0.70). A POR below 1 for male sex indicates a lower prevalence compared with women (Table 1).
Table 1. Association between patient characteristics and the presence of De Quervain tendinitis using the chi-square test (χ²) and Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR).
Among occupational factors, repetitive movements showed a statistically significant association with De Quervain disease (p = 0.01; POR = 4.44; 95% CI: 1.19–16.59), indicating a higher prevalence among exposed workers. The use of vibrating tools also showed a statistically significant association (p = 0.01; POR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.04–0.81); however, given the inverse direction of the estimate, this finding should be interpreted with caution. No statistically significant associations were observed for keyboard use, hammering, or repetitive thumb use (Table 2).
Table 2. Association between occupational factors and the presence of De Quervain tendinitis using the Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
In this population of workers receiving occupational medicine care, the prevalence of De Quervain disease was 83.7%. Statistically significant associations were identified with sex and occupational repetitive movements. The main occupational finding was exposure to repetitive movements, with a POR of 4.44 (95% CI: 1.19–16.59). The lower POR observed in men is consistent with a higher frequency of cases among women. The inverse finding observed for vibrating tools requires cautious interpretation and confirmation through studies with larger sample sizes and better control of potential confounding variables. These findings support strengthening ergonomic assessments and preventive measures targeting repetitive occupational tasks.
REFERENCES
Copo-Torres, M., Echeverría-Tamayo, F., Santamaría-Bedón, S., & Amancha-Proaño, P. I. (2021). Instrumento terapéutico para tratamiento de la tenosinovitis de Quervain. Revista UIS Ingenierías, 20(4). DOI: 10.18273/revuin.v20n4-2021001.
De la Fuente Utrilla, C., Blasco García, M., Fatás Cuevas, B., & Pardo Sanz, M. P. (2023). Tratamiento de la tenosinovitis de De Quervain. Revista Sanitaria de Investigación, 4(4).
Satteson, E., & Tannan, S. C. (2024). De Quervain tenosynovitis. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Torres, M. (2020). Tendosinovitis de Quervain. Instituto de Previsión Social.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The authors declare that they had no conflicts of interest during the preparation of this manuscript or in connection with its publication.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nayely Grisel Sanchez Flores, Guadalupe Araceli Navarrete Escalona, Omar Zecua Lechuga, Elihú Flores Velaz, Andrés Rocha Aguado (Autor/a)
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