Abstract
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders and rheumatic diseases in the Chontal and Mixtec indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, using the Community-Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) methodology. After cross-culturally validating the COPCORD questionnaire for these communities, we conducted a cross-sectional, analytical, community-based census study using a house-to-house method. Positive cases of MSK disorders were assessed by primary care physicians and rheumatologists. The study population included participants aged ≥18 years from the indigenous communities of San Antonio Huitepec and San Carlos Yautepec. A total of 1061 persons participated in the study. Mean age was 46.9 years (standard deviation 19.9; age range 18–97 years); 642 (60.5 %) were women; 483 participants (45.5; 42.4–48.5 %) had MSK pain in the previous 7 days. Diagnoses were back pain 170 (16.0 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 13.8–18.3); osteoarthritis 157 (14.7 %; 95 % CI 12.7–17.0); rheumatic regional pain syndrome 53 (4.9 %; 95 % CI 3.7–6.4); rheumatoid arthritis 4 (0.3 %; 95 % CI 0.1–0.9); dermatomyositis 1 (0.09 %; 95 % CI 0.0–0.5); ankylosing spondylitis 1 (0.09 %; 95 % CI 0.0–0.5); systemic lupus erythematosus 1 (0.09 %; 95 % CI 0.02–0.5); and gout 1 (0.09 %; 95 % CI 0.0–0.5). 53.2 % had not received medical treatment for their disease. The prevalence of MSK disorders in indigenous communities in the Mixtec and Chontal regions is very high. The most common rheumatic diseases found were back pain and osteoarthritis. A high percentage of participants had not received medical care.
Highlights
The global prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders is estimated at over 20 %
The methodology has been used in 26 countries including Mexico, where it was applied in a survey of five regions with different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, yielding significant differences in the prevalence of MSK disorders and rheumatic diseases [7,8,9,10,11,12]
Significant differences were observed in the prevalence of MSK diseases across the study groups
Summary
The global prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders is estimated at over 20 %. The prevalence in different countries varies by diagnosis, ethnicity, age, and sex. These differences may arise from the methodologies used in different epidemiological studies [1,2,3]. The methodology has been used in 26 countries including Mexico, where it was applied in a survey of five regions with different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, yielding significant differences in the prevalence of MSK disorders and rheumatic diseases [7,8,9,10,11,12]. All studies concur that MSK disorders related to rheumatic diseases occur in at least 25 % of the population. Despite this high prevalence, rheumatic disorders are not considered a
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