Arthritis is among the most prevalent chronic health problems in Canada. It is estimated to affect more than 4.4 million people, which makes it the leading cause of physical disability in Canadian adults). Moreover, the number of people with arthritis disability is rising with the percentage of Canadian adults living with rheumatic diseases projected to become 26% by 2020. Although often thought of as a disease of aging, about 60% of people with arthritis are under age 65 with most being in their prime earning years (ages 45+). As a result, costs for arthritis are high. In 2000, the estimated burden of the disease in Canada was $6.4 billion per year with two thirds of the costs ($4.3 billion) thought to be indirect and come mostly from lost productivity and long-term disability. Similar findings have been found elsewhere with disability and productivity costs in Canada and other developed countries estimated to be 2-4 times greater than the direct health care costs of the disease. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and ranks among the top ten causes of disability world-wide. It is characterized by significant pain, stiffness, swelling, fatigue, and limitations in everyday activities and roles, including work. Osteoarthritis can be found in a number of joints in the body, but research to date has focused mostly on OA of the knees, hips, ankles/feet and hands/wrists with less research on the shoulders, neck and spine. Of increasing interest are personal and environmental factors that may contribute to the development of OA or aggravate its trajectory over time, particularly the role of occupational activities
•To examine the current literature to ascertain the level and quality of evidence for a causal relationship between work-related activities/exposures and the development of OA, including the type of work activities potentially associated with OA and whether the amount of activity matters.
•To examine factors that may independently relate to the development of OA or that may modify or mediate the relationship between work activities and trajectory of OA in terms of sustaining work.
Findings from this study will be important to the OA research community, clinical practitioners, workers’ compensation boards, and policy makers.