Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in a rural area in Iran: a WHO-ILAR COPCORD study (stage 1, rural study) in Iran

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of this study is to study the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints and disorders in a rural area in Iran. Interviews were conducted in randomly selected subjects from five villages in Tuyserkan County, northwestern part of Iran. The three phases of stage 1 Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases were done during the same day. A total of 614 houses was visited, 1,565 persons interviewed, and 1,192 persons examined. Musculoskeletal complaints during the past 7 days were detected in 66.6% (shoulder 22.7%, wrist 17.4%, hands and fingers 14.9%, hip 13.9%, knee 39.2%, ankle 19.6%, toes 12.7%, cervical spine 17.9%, and dorsolumbar spine 41.9%). Degenerative joint diseases were detected in 20.5% (cervical spondylosis 2.2%, knee osteoarthritis [OA] 19.3%, hand OA 2.7%, and hip OA 0.13). Low back pain was detected in 23.4%, soft tissue rheumatism in 2.2%, rheumatoid arthritis in 0.19%, ankylosing spondylitis in 1.1%, systemic lupus erythematosus in 0.06%, and fibromyalgia in 0.06%. The prevalence of rheumatic complaints in rural Iran is very high and needs attention in the curricula of medical schools and in the planning of rural health care by the government.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chopra A (2004) COPCORD. An unrecognized fountainhead of community rheumatology in developing countries. J Rheumatol 31:2320–2323

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rasker JJ, Arnauts FLJ (2005) The “new” international league of associations for rheumatology. J Rheumatol 31:1117–1182

    Google Scholar 

  3. Haq SA, Rasker JJ, Darmawan J, Chopra A (2008) WHO-ILAR-COPCORD in the Asia-Pacific: the past, present and future. Int J Rheum Dis II:4–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Muirden KD, Valkenburg HA, Hopper J, Guest C (1992) The epidemiology of rheumatic diseases in Australia. In: Nasution AR, Darmawan J, Isbagio H (eds) APLAR rheumatology. Churchill Livingstone, Tokyo, pp 409–410

    Google Scholar 

  5. Minaur N, Sawyers S, Parker J, Darmawan J (2004) Rheumatic disease in an Australian Aboriginal community in North Queensland, Australia. A WHO-ILAR COPCORD survey. J Rheumatol 31:965–972

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Haq SA, Darmawan J, Islam MN et al (2005) Prevalence of rheumatic diseases and associated outcomes in rural and urban communities in Bangladesh: a COPCORD study. J Rheumatol 32:348–353

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Wigley RD, Zhang NZ, Zeng QY et al (1994) Rheumatic disease in china: ILAR-China study comparing the prevalence of rheumatic symptoms in northern and southern rural populations. J Rheumatol 21:1484–1490

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dai SM, Han XH, Zhao DB, Shi YQ, Liu Y, Meng JM (2003) Prevalence of rheumatic symptoms, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout in Shanghai, China: a COPCORD study. J Rheumatol 30:2245–2251

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Zeng QY, Chen R, Xiao ZY et al (2004) Low prevalence of knee and back pain in southeast China; the Shantou COPCORD study. J Rheumatol 31:2439–2443

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Darmawan J, Valkenburg HA, Muirden KD, Wigley RD (1992) Epidemiology of rheumatic diseases in rural and urban populations in Indonesia: a World Health Organization International League Against Rheumatism COPCORD study, stage I, phase 2. Ann Rheum Dis 51:525–528

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Chopra A, Saluja M, Patil J, Tandale HS (2002) Pain and disability, perceptions and beliefs of a rural Indian population: A WHO-ILAR COPCORD study. WHO-International League of Associations for Rheumatology. Community oriented program for control of rheumatic diseases. J Rheumatol 29:614–621

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Chopra A, Patil J, Billempelly V, Relwani J, Tandle HS (2001) Prevalence of rheumatic diseases in a rural population in Western India: a WHO-ILAR COPCORD study. J Assoc Physicians India 49:240–246

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Forghanizadeh J, Abhari R, Piroozian M et al (1995) Prevalence of rheumatic disease in Fasham. Journal of Iran University of Medical Sciences 3:132–142

    Google Scholar 

  14. Davatchi F, Jamshidi AR, Tehrani-Banihashemi A, Darmawan J (2006) WHO-ILAR COPCORD pilot study in Tehran, Iran. J Rheumatol 33:1714

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Davatchi F, Jamshidi AR, Tehrani Bani-Hashemi A et al (2004) Iran COPCORD study. In: APLAR 2004 Proceedings Book, Future in Rheumatology: From Bench to Bedside, 11th Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress, MediMedia, Korea, pp 89–91

  16. Davatchi F, Jamshidi F, Tehrani Banihashemi A et al (2008) WHO-ILAR COPCORD study (stage 1, urban study) in Iran. J Rheumatol 35:1384–1390

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Veerapen K, Wigley RD, Valkenburg H (2007) Musculoskeletal pain in Malaysia: a COPCORD survey. J Rheumatol 34:207–213

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Farooqi A, Gibson T (1998) Prevalence of the major rheumatic disorders in the adult population of North Pakistan. Br J Rheumatol 37:491–495

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Manahan L, Caragay R, Muirden KD, Allander E, Valkenburg HA, Wigley RD (1985) Rheumatic pain in a Philippine village. A WHO-ILAR COPCORD study. Rheumatol Int 5:149–153

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wigley R, Manahan L, Muirden KD et al (1991) Rheumatic disease in a Philippine village. II: a WHO-ILAR-APLAR COPCORD study, phases II and III. Rheumatol Int 11:157–161

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Dans LF, Tankeh-Torres S, Amante CM, Penserga EG (1997) The prevalence of rheumatic diseases in a Filipino urban population: a WHO-ILAR COPCORD Study. World Health Organization. International League of Associations for Rheumatology. Community Oriented Program for the Control of the Rheumatic Diseases. J Rheumatol 24:1814–1819

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Chaiamnuay P, Darmawan J, Muirden KD, Assawatanabodee P (1998) Epidemiology of rheumatic disease in rural Thailand: a WHO-ILAR COPCORD study. Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Disease. J Rheumatol 25:1382–1387

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Abdel-Nasser A (2004) The prevalence of rheumatic diseases in rural Egypt: COPCORD-Egypt. In: APLAR 2004 Proceeding Book, Future in Rheumatology: From Bench to Bedside, 11th Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress, MediMedia, Korea, pp 88

  24. Chopra A, Abdel Nasser A (2008) Epidemiology of rheumatic musculoskeletal disorders in the developing world. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 22:583–604

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Brooks P, Hochberg M (2001) Outcome measures and classification criteria for the rheumatic siseases. A compilation of date from OMERACT (Outcome Measures for Arthritis Clinical Trials), ILAR (International League of Associations for Rheumatology) regional leagues and other groups. J Rheumatol 40:896–906

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Davatchi F (2006) Rheumatic diseases in the APLAR region. APLAR J Rheumatol 9:5–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Aho K, Kaipiainen-Seppanen O, Heliovaara M, Klaukka T (1998) Epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis in Finland. Semin Arthritis Rheum 27:325–334

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Gabriel SE, Crowson CS, O'Fallon WM (1999) The epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis in Rochester, Minnesota, 1955–1985. Arthritis Rheum 42:415–420

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Drosos AA, Alamanos I, Voulgari PV et al (1997) Epidemiology of adult rheumatoid arthritis in northwest Greece 1987–1995. J Rheumatol 24:2129–2133

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Gimmino MA (1998) Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Italy: the Chiavari study. Ann Rheum Dis 57:315–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Dequeker J, Rasker JJ (1998) High prevalence and impact of rheumatic diseases is not reflected in the medical curriculum: the ILAR Undergraduate Medical Education in Rheumatology (UMER) 2000 project. Together everybody achieves more. J Rheumatol 25:1037–1040

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Dequeker J, Rasker JJ (2000) Rheumatology and the bone and joint decade 2000–2010 ILAR UMER 2000 project. Clin Rheumatol 19:79–81

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Woolf A, Pfleger B (2003) Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions. Bull W H O 81:646–656

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Zeng QY, Chen R, Darmawan J, Xiao ZY, Chen SB, Wigley R, Chen SL, Ahang NZ (2008) Rheumatic diseases in China. Arthritis Res Ther 10(1):R17

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Tehran University for Medical Sciences and Health Services grant no. 132/11709. We thank all of the team leaders, interviewers, laboratory technicians, and supervisors who accompanied us in all stages of the study. We thank Dr. John Darmawan who kindly provided and helped us in designing the study and preparing the CCQ.

Disclosures

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Kargar Avenue, Tehran, 14114, Iran

    Fereydoun Davatchi, Arash Tehrani Banihashemi, Jaleh Gholami, Seyedeh Tahereh Faezi, Mohammad Hossein Forouzanfar, Mansour Salesi, Mansour Karimifar, Kamal Essalatmanesh, Mojgan Barghamdi, Elham Noorolahzadeh & Saideh Dahaghin

  2. Faculty Behavioral Sciences, University Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Johannes J. Rasker

Authors
  1. Fereydoun Davatchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arash Tehrani Banihashemi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jaleh Gholami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Seyedeh Tahereh Faezi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mohammad Hossein Forouzanfar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Mansour Salesi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Mansour Karimifar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Kamal Essalatmanesh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Mojgan Barghamdi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Elham Noorolahzadeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Saideh Dahaghin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Johannes J. Rasker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fereydoun Davatchi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Davatchi, F., Tehrani Banihashemi, A., Gholami, J. et al. The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in a rural area in Iran: a WHO-ILAR COPCORD study (stage 1, rural study) in Iran. Clin Rheumatol 28, 1267–1274 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1234-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1234-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation