Prevalence of the rheumatic diseases in urban Vietnam: a WHO-ILAR COPCORD study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence rates of musculoskeletal disorders in an urban Vietnamese population.


METHODS
The Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Disease (COPCORD) Stage I study was carried out in 16 groups in the Trung Liet Commune, Dong Da District, Hanoi City, Vietnam. Phase 1: the WHO ILAR COPCORD Core Questionnaire was applied by primary health care workers to 2119 urban subjects aged 16 years and over. Phase 2: 276 positive responders who had musculoskeletal complaints were interviewed by nurses and examined one week later. Phase 3: 261 positive responders in phase II were examined by 3 rheumatologists and 38% of these subjects required radiographic and blood tests to classify rheumatic disease categories.


RESULTS
The response rates were 94.4%, 86.2%, and 94.6% in phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was 14.9%. The most common musculoskeletal complaints were knee pain 18.2%, low back pain 11.2%, and soft tissue disorder 15.4%. Functional disability was reported in 6.04% of the survey population. The prevalence of rheumatic diseases was OA 4.1%, rheumatoid arthritis 0.28%, osteoporosis 0.47%, connective tissue disease 0.09%, and gout 0.14%.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in 2119 adults in an urban population in Vietnam was 14.5%, and osteoarthritis was the most commonly found arthritis.
Minh Hoa
Tran Thi
TT
Department of Rheumatology, Bach Mai Hospital, Giai Phong Road, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Darmawan
John
J
Chen
Shun Le
SL
Van Hung
Nguyen
N
Thi Nhi
Cao
C
Ngoc An
Tran
T
Damarwan
John
J
Shun Le
Chen
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology