A validation study comparing two self-reported upper extremity symptom surveys with clinical examinations for upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the validity of two self-report symptoms surveys with two disorder classification protocols. PARTICIPANTS: 100 graduate students at a private school in the Southwest United States. METHODS: Study participants completed two self-report upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms surveys: a nine item 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a nine item Likert categorical scale anchored from "None" to "Very severe". Clinical examinations were administered using two musculoskeletal disorder classification protocols. RESULTS: For the nine body regions, concordance between the two self-report symptoms scales ranged from 0.49-0.75. Overall there was greater than 80% agreement for the two disorder classification protocols. Using either symptom survey with either disorder classification protocol provided high sensitivities and specificities (Youden's J ≥ 0.70). Three of possible six symptom survey/classification protocol pairings provided high sensitivities and specificities across all disorder groups. CONCLUSION: In this graduate student sample, none of the self-report symptom survey-classification protocol pairings was demonstratively more useful than any other pairing for studies of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users.