Purpose This cross-sectional study aimed to determine if age and perceived job exertion (PJE) moderate the effect of gender on upper extremity (UE) disorders in injured workers. Methods We sampled a consecutive cohort of patients attending a specialty clinic for injured workers with UE musculoskeletal problems. We measured UE disability and pain using the Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QDASH). Participants reported their PJE on a Global Rating of Change scale ranging from 1 (minimal perceived exertion) to 15 (maximal perceived exertion). Linear regression was used to explore the effect of gender on QDASH. We probed the moderating role of age and PJE using floodlight regression and identified the Johnson-Neyman (JN) region of age and PJE, where the effect of gender on QDASH becomes significant at the 95% level. Results We analyzed 418 participants, of whom 44% were women. The effect of gender on QDASH was significant for women aged 49 or younger (JN-region border: Age = 48.5, effect = 4.4, SE = 2.2, p = 0.05). Women workers with UE disorders younger than 49 years old report higher levels of pain and disability than do men. After the age of 49 years, both men and women workers experience a similar worsening of UE pain and disability with increasing age. Pain and disability increase with increased perceived job demands similarly for both men and women workers. Conclusions Women younger than 49 years had higher levels of UE pain and disorders than men. Both men and women workers reported higher UE disability with an increase in their PJE.

目的本横断面研究旨在确定年龄和感知工作强度 (PJE) 是否会调节性别对受伤工人上肢 (UE) 疾病的影响。方法我们连续抽样了一组为患有 UE 肌肉骨骼问题的受伤工人就诊的专科诊所的患者。我们使用手臂、肩部和手部的快速残疾 (QDASH) 测量了 UE 残疾和疼痛。参与者报告了他们的 PJE 全球变化评级量表，范围从 1（最小感知运动）到 15（最大感知运动）。线性回归用于探索性别对 QDASH 的影响。我们使用泛光灯回归探讨了年龄和 PJE 的调节作用，并确定了年龄和 PJE 的 Johnson-Neyman (JN) 区域，其中性别对 QDASH 的影响在 95% 的水平上变得显着。结果我们分析了 418 名参与者，其中 44% 是女性。对于 49 岁或以下的女性，性别对 QDASH 的影响显着（JN 区域边界：年龄 = 48.5，影响 = 4.4，SE = 2.2，p = 0.05）。49 岁以下患有 UE 障碍的女工报告的疼痛和残疾程度高于男性。49 岁以后，随着年龄的增长，男性和女性工人都经历了类似的 UE 疼痛和残疾恶化。疼痛和残疾随着对男性和女性工人的感知工作需求的增加而增加。结论49 岁以下女性的 UE 疼痛和疾病水平高于男性。随着 PJE 的增加，男性和女性工人都报告了更高的 UE 残疾。