title: Everyday burden of musculoskeletal conditions among villagers in rural Botswana: A focused ethnography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the perspectives of villagers in rural Botswana about the everyday life burden and impact of their musculoskeletal disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethnographic fieldwork for 8 months included 55 in-depth interviews with 34 villagers. Interviews were typically conducted in Setswana with an interpreter. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim, with Setswana contextually translated into English. The theoretical lens included Bury's biographical disruption, in which he distinguishes between "meaning as consequence" and "meaning as significance".
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interviews revealed co-existing accounts for the consequences and significance of musculoskeletal burden related to 3 themes: (i) hard work for traditional lives; (ii) bearing the load of a rugged landscape; and, (iii) caring for others with disrupted lives. Physical labour with musculoskeletal symptoms had economic and subsistence consequences. The loss of independence and social identity to fulfil traditional roles held meaning as significance. Outmigration for wage labour and other shifts in family structure compounded everyday musculoskeletal burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uncovering burden is an important first step to address musculoskeletal care needs in developing country settings. Community-engaged partnerships are needed to develop rehabilitation programmes to ease the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in rural Botswana.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark. mhondras@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hondras
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hartvigsen
authors.forename: Corrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Myburgh
authors.forename: Helle
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Johannessen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001902:Botswana / Q000453:epidemiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004777:Environment; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult