title: [Musculoskeletal pain in Central American workers: results of the First Survey on Working Conditions and Health in Central America].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in the six Spanish-speaking countries of Central America using a single standardized instrument, the First Survey on Working Conditions and Health in Central America in workers from all manual and non-manual labor sectors, using social security coverage as an indicator of formal versus informal employment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The workers (n = 12 024) were surveyed in their homes. The age-adjusted prevalence of MSP during the previous month was calculated for pain in the back (upper, or cervical; middle, or thoracic; and lower, or lumbar) and arm joints (shoulder, elbow, and wrist). Prevalence was estimated by sex, occupation (manual or non-manual), economic sector (agriculture, industry, or services), and social security coverage. Poisson regression models were used to calculate the prevalence rates and 95% confidence intervals, with stratification by country and anatomical site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By sites, the age-adjusted prevalence of cervical-dorsal MSP was the highest, especially in El Salvador (47.8%) and Nicaragua (45.9%), and lumbar MSP was less prevalent, especially in Panama (12.8%) and Guatemala (14.8%). After additional adjustments, the prevalence of MSP was higher in women and manual workers for all the sites and in all the countries. There were no differences in MSP in terms of social security coverage or sector of economic activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high prevalence of MSP in Central America, regardless of sector of activity or social security coverage, indicates that the prevention of MSP should be a priority in occupational health programs in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women and manual workers.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica, marianela.rojas.garbanzo@una.cr.
authors.forename: Marianela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Salud Pública, Universidad de Texas, San Antonio, Texas, Estados Unidos de América.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Salud Laboral, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vargas-Prada
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Salud Laboral, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Fernando G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Benavides
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002489:Central America / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009790:Occupations; D009928:Organ Specificity; D015995:Prevalence; D012943:Social Security / Q000706:statistics & numerical data