Professor Jonathan Hill j.hill@keele.ac.uk
Quantifying the population burden of musculoskeletal disorders, including impact on sickness absence: analysis of national Scottish data
Hill, Jonathan
Authors
Abstract
Objectives
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for the greatest burden of years lived with disability globally. To prevent disability, good-quality services need to be commissioned, appropriate for local need. We analysed data collected systematically from a new musculoskeletal service serving 70% of the population of Scotland to evaluate: age- and sex-specific occurrence; anatomical distribution; and impact and effect on work ability.
Methods
A new centralized telephone-based triage for people with musculoskeletal disorders was set up in Scotland in 2015. Available to most of the population aged >16?years (>3 million people), data were collected systematically into a database detailing: anatomical site, nature of onset, duration, impact/risk (modified STarT score), deprivation level and, for those in employment, sickness absence.
Results
Data were available from 219?314 new callers, 2015–18. Calls were more frequently from women (60%), increased with age until the eighth decade, and 66% reported symptoms that had been present for >6?weeks. Callers were more likely to be living in more deprived areas in each age band between 20 and 64?years and tended to have higher-impact symptoms. The majority (53%) of callers were in employment, and 19% of these were off sick because of their symptoms. Sickness absence was more common among those with highest impact/risk scores from deprived areas with more acute symptoms.
Discussion
Large-scale systematic data collection for MSDs emphasizes the size and impact of the burden among adults aged >16?years. A socio-economic gradient is evident in terms of prevalence and impact of MSDs, particularly for sickness absence.
Acceptance Date | Mar 31, 2022 |
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Publication Date | May 6, 2022 |
Publicly Available Date | Mar 29, 2024 |
Journal | Rheumatology Advances in Practice |
Print ISSN | 2514-1775 |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1093/rap/rkac030 |
Keywords | musculoskeletal disorders, burden, systematic data, prevalence, sickness absence, deprivation |
Publisher URL | https://doi.org/10.1093/rap/rkac030 |
Files
rkac030.pdf
(1.5 Mb)
PDF
Publisher Licence URL
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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