Fact · Accessibility and health
39cases per 100 person-years
In a cohort of newly hired computer users, the annual incidence of hand or arm musculoskeletal symptoms was 39 cases per 100 person-years.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“The annual incidence of H/A MSS was 39 cases/100 person-years and of H/A MSD was 21 cases/100 person-years.”
A prospective study of computer users: I. Study design and incidence, Gerr F et al., American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2002, Results.
Open the original- What it measures
- MSS are musculoskeletal symptoms reported in daily diaries. The cohort was 632 people starting jobs with at least 15 hours a week of computer use.
- What it does not show
- A rate per 100 person-years counts new cases over time, so it is not the share of people who ever had symptoms. The cohort was office computer users, not all typists.