title: Epidemiology of rheumatic diseases. A community-based study in urban and rural populations in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in rural and urban populations using the WHO-ILAR COPCORD questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional home survey in subjects > 18 years of age in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Results were validated locally against physical examination in positive cases according to an operational definition by 2 rheumatologists. We used a random, balanced, and stratified sample by region of representative subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We surveyed 4713 individuals with a mean age of 43.6 years (SD 17.3); 55.9% were women and 87.1% were from urban areas. Excluding trauma, 1278 individuals (27.1%, 95% CI 25.8%-28.4%) reported musculoskeletal pain in the last 7 days; the prevalence of this variable was almost twice as frequent in women (33% vs 17% in men); 529 (11.2%) had pain associated with trauma. The global prevalence of pain was 38.3%. Mean pain score was 2.4 (SD 3.4) on a pain scale of 0-10. Most subjects classified as positive according to case definition (99%) were evaluated by a rheumatologist. Main diagnoses were osteoarthritis in 17.3% (95% CI 16.2-18.4), back pain in 9.8% (95% CI 9.0-10.7), undifferentiated arthritis in 2.4% (95% CI 2.0-2.9), rheumatoid arthritis in 0.4% (95% CI 0.2-0.6), fibromyalgia in 0.8% (95% CI 0.6-1.1), and gout in 0.3% (95% CI 0.1-0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first regional COPCORD study in Mexico performed with a systematic sampling, showing a high prevalence of pain. COPCORD is a useful tool for the early detection of rheumatic diseases as well as for accurately referring patients to different medical care centers and to reduce underreporting of rheumatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Service, Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Amado
authors.forename: Ingris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Peláez-Ballestas
authors.forename: Luz Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sanin
authors.forename: Jorge Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Esquivel-Valerio
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burgos-Vargas
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez-Barbosa
authors.forename: Janett
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riega-Torres
authors.forename: Mario Alberto
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Garza-Elizondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007390:International Agencies; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*