Abstract
BackgroundChronic non-communicable diseases entail high impact on health systems in Brazil and worldwide. Among the most frequent are the musculoskeletal conditions which comprise a group of diseases that influence individuals’ physical status, quality of life and functional capacity. Epidemiological studies investigating the scale of such conditions in the adult population are scarce in Brazil. This study estimates the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal conditions and their association with demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural and clinical factors.MethodsCross-sectional study with data from Brazil’s 2013 National Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde), a nationwide household survey of 60,202 adults. Musculoskeletal conditions were specified by self-reported medical diagnosis of arthritis or rheumatism and self-reported spinal disorders. The variables were examined using a hierarchical model of determination. Prevalences of musculoskeletal conditions were calculated with their respective 95% confidence intervals for Brazil and its five regions. Prevalence ratios (PRs) were obtained by Poisson regression with robust variance.ResultsOf the 60,202 individuals evaluated, 21.6% presented musculoskeletal conditions, with higher prevalences for females, older adults, indigenous, those living with a partner, low education, no occupational activity, those living in the South Region of Brazil, in rural areas, daily smokers, sedentary, obese, those who did not drink alcohol, with depressive symptoms or suffering from three or more chronic diseases. Multivariate analysis identified strong associations with advanced age (PR = 3.61; 95% CI 3.27-3.98), depressive symptoms (PR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.57-1.81) and multimorbidity (PR = 1.94; 95% CI 1.77-2.12).ConclusionsThe results show high prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions in Brazil’s adult population. Considering the process of aging and steady growth in chronic diseases, this study underlines the need for health policies directed to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation for people affected by chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
Highlights
Chronic non-communicable diseases entail high impact on health systems in Brazil and worldwide
The highest prevalence of Chronic Musculoskeletal Condition (CMC) was found in individuals living with partners (23.6%), individuals with lower schooling level (28.7%), those who were not working (26.4%) and those living in rural areas (24.5%)
Prevalence of CMCs was higher in physically inactive individuals (23.0%) than in those who engaged in physical activity for more than 150 min per week (17.3%)
Summary
Chronic non-communicable diseases entail high impact on health systems in Brazil and worldwide. Epidemiological shifts in population and longer life expectancy leads to higher risk of CNCDs [2, 3] This entails high costs for preventive, therapeutic and curative strategies and causes major impact on public health, Chronic musculoskeletal conditions (CMCs) jeopardise affected individuals’ quality of life and functional capacity [7,8,9]. Rheumatic diseases such as osteoarthritis and spinal disorders manifest pain and limitations on physical, functional and labour capacities [8]. CMCs are among the major causes of functional disability, absence from occupational activities and early retirement, resulting in impacts on individuals and society [10,11,12].
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