Changes over four years in musculoskeletal impairment in men and women.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To measure changes over four years in musculoskeletal impairment in a group of healthy adults. DESIGN: Longitudinal intervention study with repeated questionnaire assessments at entry, two and four years. SUBJECTS: Adults who volunteered for a fitness program and complied with all three assessments (373 men and 259 women; mean age 42 years). RESULTS: The general four-year trend was an acceleration of musculoskeletal impairment of about 10% per year for three indicators. Movement limited activities increased to a similar extent in men and women; women showed greater increases in pain or discomfort and specialist consultations. For both sexes the most vulnerable anatomical locations were the lower back, neck and knees, while the most common activities associated with movement limitations were jogging and lifting. Pain or discomfort and movement limited activities were age related. CONCLUSIONS: The findings justify anxieties about the increasing costs of musculoskeletal impairment, and highlight important questions about the nature, monitoring and control of such impairment.