Finger dexterity in well-functioning cohort of office workers in Macau.

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to describe the finger dexterity in office workers of an Asian population.

Methods: One hundred twenty-seven right-handed office workers, aged 21-50 with a similar split of male and female, were recruited with finger dexterity measured by the O'Connor Finger Dexterity Test. The grip strength, tip and lateral pinch strength of both hands were also measured.

Results: This study provided the percentile score of the O'Connor Finger Dexterity Test of both males and females in the Asian population. Raw scores of below 218 and 213 seconds in male and female participants respectively reach the 90th percentile, and above 237 and 235 seconds in male and female below the 10th percentile. Results showed no significant difference in local mean scores across different age groups, between male and female and with varying hours of working in typing, filing, and writing. A significant difference was only found in finger dexterity and years of working as office workers. No significant correlation was found between the finger dexterity with grip strength, tip and lateral pinch of the dominant right hand. The results were similar to the original normative score with similar work skills and demands.

Conclusion: The mean scores could be used as a valid reference for local occupational therapists to evaluate the finger dexterity of office workers. However, caution has to be taken that conclusions drawn can be biased because of the relatively small sample size, and the results cannot be generalized to represent a wider Asian population.