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  • Musculoskeletal pain is more generalised among people from ethnic minorities than among white people in Greater Manchester

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Musculoskeletal pain is more generalised among people from ethnic minorities than among white people in Greater Manchester
  1. T R Allison1,
  2. D P M Symmons2,
  3. T Brammah3,
  4. P Haynes4,
  5. A Rogers5,
  6. M Roxby1,
  7. M Urwin6
  1. 1West Pennine Health Authority, UK
  2. 2ARC Epidemiology Unit, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, UK
  3. 3Tameside Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
  4. 4Royal Oldham NHS Trust, UK
  5. 5National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, University of Manchester, UK
  6. 6ARC Epidemiology Unit, University of Manchester, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr T R Allison, East Riding and Hull Health Authority, Health House, Grange Park Lane, Willerby, East Yorkshire HU10 6DT, UK;
    tim.allison{at}eriding-ha.northy.nhs.uk

Abstract

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.

  • musculoskeletal pain
  • pain
  • ethnicity
  • joint pain
  • mHAQ
  • modified Health Assessment Questionnaire

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.61.2.151

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    Footnotes

    • TA had the original idea for the project, secured funding, gained ethical approval, and was the overall project leader. TA, DS, TB, AR, MR, and MU developed the methodology in the light of previous work and PH refined the methodology for the African Caribbean population. TA, TB, PH, and MU participated in data collection and analysis under the supervision of DS, AR, and MR. All authors contributed to the final version of the paper.

    • Work included in this paper is to be submitted to the University of Cambridge by TA for the degree of MD.