Background-Epidemiologically-based rheumatology healthcare needs assessment requires an understanding of the incidence and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the community, of the reasons why people consult in primary care, and of the proportion of people who would benefit from referral to secondary care and paramedical services. This paper reports the first phase of such a needs assessment exercise. Specific objective-To estimate the relative frequency of musculoskeletal pain in diVerent, and multiple, anatomical sites in the adult population. Setting-Three general practices in the former Tameside and Glossop Health Authority, Greater Manchester, UK, a predominantly urban area. Design-Population survey. Methods-An age and sex stratified sample of 6000 adults from the three practices was mailed a questionnaire that sought data on demographic factors, musculoskeletal symptoms (pain in the past month lasting for more than a week), and physical disability (using the modified Health Assessment QuestionnairemHAQ). The areas of pain covered were neck, back, shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, and multiple joints. The Carstairs index was used as a measure of social deprivation of the postcode sector in which the person lived. Results-The response rate after two reminders was 78.5%. Non-responders were more likely to live in areas of high social deprivation. People who lived in more deprived areas were also more likely to report musculoskeletal pain, especially backpain. After adjusting for social deprivation the rates of musculoskeletal pain did not diVer between the practices and so their results were combined. After adjustment for social deprivation, the most common site of pain was back (23%; 95% CI 21, 25) followed by knee (19%; 95% CI 18, 21), and shoulder (16%; 95% CI 14, 17). The majority of subjects who reported pain had pain in more than one site. The prevalence of physical disability in the community rose with age. It was highest in those with multiple joint problems but was also high in those with isolated back or knee pain. Conclusion-Musculoskeletalpain is common in the community. People who live in socially deprived areas have more musculoskeletal symptoms. Estimates of the overall burden of musculoskeletal pain that combine the results of site specific surveys will be too high, those that do not adjust for socioeconomic factors will be too low. (Ann Rheum Dis 1998;57:649-655) It is well recognised that musculoskeletal symptoms are common in the adult community. Disorders of the musculoskeletal system were the most frequent self reported longstanding illness in the 1995 General Household Survey, with a rate of 159 per 1000 adult women and 143 per 1000 adult men.1 The frequency of these disorders, and the prevalence of physical disability, increase with age. 2Almost one third of people aged over 75 have a significant musculoskeletal problem, and the prevalence of locomotor disability rises from 3.1% in those aged less than 60 to almost 50% in those aged more than 75.3 Musculoskeletal compl...

Objective: To assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among the major ethnic minority populations of Greater Manchester. Method: The study group was a community sample of 2117 adults from the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and African Caribbean communities. Questionnaires administered by post and by an interviewer were used to assess the presence of any musculoskeletal pain, pain in specific joints, and the level of physical function. Ethnicity was self assigned. The results were compared with those from a recent study in the local white population using the same methodology. Results: Overall response rate was 75% among the south Asian (Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi) community and 47% among the African Caribbean community. The profile of musculoskeletal pain among the ethnic minority groups differed from that in the white population. Although musculoskeletal symptoms were slightly more prevalent among people from ethnic minority groups than among the white population, pain in multiple sites was considerably more common among ethnic minorities. Conclusions: The finding that musculoskeletal pain is more widespread among ethnic minority communities in the UK has not previously been reported. This may reflect social, cultural, and psychological differences. The cause of the differences in the profile of pain and the health needs that follow need further investigation.