Ethnic Differences in the Prevalence of Knee Pain Among Adults of a Community in a Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal BMJ Open

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2016 Dec 3

PMID 27909033

Citations 6

Authors

Yook Chin Chia

Hooi Chin Beh

Chirk Jenn Ng

Cheong Lieng Teng

Nik Sherina Hanafi

Wan Yuen Choo

Siew Mooi Ching

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of knee pain among 3 major ethnic groups in Malaysia. By identifying high-risk groups, preventive measures can be targeted at these populations.

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in rural and urban areas in a state in Malaysia. Secondary schools were randomly selected and used as sampling units.

Participants: Adults aged ≥18 years old were invited to answer a self-administered questionnaire on pain experienced over the previous 6 months. Out of 9300 questionnaires distributed, 5206 were returned and 150 participants who did not fall into the 3 ethnic groups were excluded, yielding a total of 5056 questionnaires for analysis. 58.2% (n=2926) were women. 50% (n=2512) were Malays, 41.4% (n=2079) were Chinese and 8.6% (n=434) were Indians.

Results: 21.1% (n=1069) had knee pain during the previous 6 months. More Indians (31.8%) experienced knee pain compared with Malays (24.3%) and Chinese (15%) (p<0.001). The odds of Indian women reporting knee pain was twofold higher compared with Malay women. There was a rising trend in the prevalence of knee pain with increasing age (p<0.001). The association between age and knee pain appeared to be stronger in women than men. 68.1% of Indians used analgesia for knee pain while 75.4% of Malays and 52.1% of Chinese did so (p<0.001). The most common analgesic used for knee pain across all groups was topical medicated oil (43.7%).

Conclusions: The prevalence of knee pain in adults was more common in Indian women and older women age groups and Chinese men had the lowest prevalence of knee pain. Further studies should investigate the reasons for these differences.

Citing Articles

Chronic pain experiences of immigrant Indian women in Canada: A photovoice exploration.

Mustafa N, Ramana S, MacNeill M, Watt-Watson J, Einstein G Can J Pain. 2024; 8(2):2390355.

PMID: 39381721 PMC: 11459737. DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2024.2390355.

Prevalence of Patellofemoral Pain and Knee Pain in the General Population of Saudi Arabia.

Aldharman S, Almuhammadi H, Madkhali A, Alnami R, Alkadi M, Albalawi D Cureus. 2022; 14(10):e30355.

PMID: 36407143 PMC: 9665909. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.30355.

Healthcare Utilization and Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms among Urban Older Malaysian.

Kamsan S, Singh D, Tan M, Kumar S Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(7).

PMID: 33916628 PMC: 8038539. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073777.

Pathophysiological Perspective of Osteoarthritis.

Mohd Yunus M, Nordin A, Kamal H Medicina (Kaunas). 2020; 56(11).

PMID: 33207632 PMC: 7696673. DOI: 10.3390/medicina56110614.

The knowledge and self-management educational needs of older adults with knee osteoarthritis: A qualitative study.

Kamsan S, Singh D, Tan M, Kumar S PLoS One. 2020; 15(3):e0230318.

PMID: 32226047 PMC: 7105111. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230318.

References

Neogi T, Nevitt M, Yang M, Curtis J, Torner J, Felson D . Consistency of knee pain: correlates and association with function. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2010; 18(10):1250-5. PMC: 2943545. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2010.08.001. View

Veerapen K, Wigley R, Valkenburg H . Musculoskeletal pain in Malaysia: a COPCORD survey. J Rheumatol. 2007; 34(1):207-13. View

Thumboo J, Chew L, Lewin-Koh S . Socioeconomic and psychosocial factors influence pain or physical function in Asian patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2002; 61(11):1017-20. PMC: 1753936. DOI: 10.1136/ard.61.11.1017. View

Jover J, Lajas C, Leon L, Carmona L, Serra J, Reoyo A . Incidence of physical disability related to musculoskeletal disorders in the elderly: results from a primary care-based registry. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2014; 67(1):89-93. DOI: 10.1002/acr.22420. View

Murphy L, Schwartz T, Helmick C, Renner J, Tudor G, Koch G . Lifetime risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2008; 59(9):1207-13. PMC: 4516049. DOI: 10.1002/art.24021. View

Salve H, Gupta V, Palanivel C, Yadav K, Singh B . Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis amongst perimenopausal women in an urban resettlement colony in South Delhi. Indian J Public Health. 2011; 54(3):155-7. DOI: 10.4103/0019-557X.75739. View

Kudial S, Tandon V, Mahajan A . Rheumatological disorder (RD) in Indian women above 40 years of age: A cross-sectional WHO-ILAR-COPCORD-based survey. J Midlife Health. 2015; 6(2):76-80. PMC: 4481744. DOI: 10.4103/0976-7800.158955. View

Jinks C, Jordan K, Blagojevic M, Croft P . Predictors of onset and progression of knee pain in adults living in the community. A prospective study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2008; 47(3):368-74. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kem374. View

Lawrence R, Felson D, Helmick C, Arnold L, Choi H, Deyo R . Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States. Part II. Arthritis Rheum. 2008; 58(1):26-35. PMC: 3266664. DOI: 10.1002/art.23176. View

10.

Urwin M, Symmons D, Allison T, Brammah T, Busby H, Roxby M . Estimating the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in the community: the comparative prevalence of symptoms at different anatomical sites, and the relation to social deprivation. Ann Rheum Dis. 1999; 57(11):649-55. PMC: 1752494. DOI: 10.1136/ard.57.11.649. View

11.

Oliveria S, Felson D, Cirillo P, REED J, Walker A . Body weight, body mass index, and incident symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Epidemiology. 1999; 10(2):161-6. View

12.

Jinks C, Jordan K, Ong B, Croft P . A brief screening tool for knee pain in primary care (KNEST). 2. Results from a survey in the general population aged 50 and over. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2003; 43(1):55-61. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keg438. View

13.

Cruz-Almeida Y, Sibille K, Goodin B, Petrov M, Bartley E, Riley 3rd J . Racial and ethnic differences in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014; 66(7):1800-10. PMC: 4077911. DOI: 10.1002/art.38620. View

14.

Cepeda M, Carr D . Women experience more pain and require more morphine than men to achieve a similar degree of analgesia. Anesth Analg. 2003; 97(5):1464-1468. DOI: 10.1213/01.ANE.0000080153.36643.83. View

15.

Muraki S, Akune T, En-Yo Y, Yoshida M, Suzuki T, Yoshida H . Joint space narrowing, body mass index, and knee pain: the ROAD study (OAC1839R1). Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015; 23(6):874-81. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2015.01.011. View

16.

Dunlop D, Semanik P, Song J, Manheim L, Shih V, Chang R . Risk factors for functional decline in older adults with arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2005; 52(4):1274-82. PMC: 1199524. DOI: 10.1002/art.20968. View

17.

Lin E, Katon W, Von Korff M, Tang L, Williams Jr J, Kroenke K . Effect of improving depression care on pain and functional outcomes among older adults with arthritis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2003; 290(18):2428-9. DOI: 10.1001/jama.290.18.2428. View

18.

Guccione A, Felson D, Anderson J, Anthony J, Zhang Y, Wilson P . The effects of specific medical conditions on the functional limitations of elders in the Framingham Study. Am J Public Health. 1994; 84(3):351-8. PMC: 1614827. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.84.3.351. View

19.

Kim I, Kim H, Seo Y, Jung Y, Song Y, Jeong J . Prevalence of knee pain and its influence on quality of life and physical function in the Korean elderly population: a community based cross-sectional study. J Korean Med Sci. 2011; 26(9):1140-6. PMC: 3172649. DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2011.26.9.1140. View

20.

Zailinawati A, Teng C, Kamil M, Achike F, Koh C . Pain morbidity in primary care - preliminary observations from two different primary care settings. Med J Malaysia. 2006; 61(2):162-7. View