Epidemiological evolution of repetitive strain injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Brazil:...

The objective of this study was to analyze the evolution of the epidemiological profile of repetitive strain injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Brazil, comparing the industrial and corporate scenario of the 1990s with national and regional data published between 2007 and 2025. A literature review with comparative analysis of secondary data was conducted, using as historical reference the analysis of 125 repetitive strain injuries cases among workers in the electro-electronic industry and, as a contemporary counterpart, studies based on data from Brazil's Notifiable Diseases Information System, the Department of Information Technology of the Unified Health System, and recent literature. The historical sample showed a predominance of women (73.6%) and workers aged 31 to 35 years (28.0%), with initial emphasis on wrist tendinitis (49.6%) and shoulder bursitis (20.0%). At the end of follow-up, chronic pain syndrome was recorded in 65.6% of cases. Contemporary data showed a higher case concentration in older age groups, especially between 40 and 49 years in the national study from 2007 to 2021 and between 40 and 59 years in the 2018-2023 period. In Paraná, between 2014 and 2023, 5,694 cases were recorded, with female predominance (62.5%) and work shifts longer than six hours in 86.8% of notifications. The evolution of cases over time suggests greater clinical and occupational complexity of repetitive strain injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders, underscoring the need for cautious interpretation of indicators and integrated preventive strategies.