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Table 2 Prevalence of the investigated musculoskeletal diseases and consultations for chronic pain according to sociodemographic characteristics and smoking status. Adults aged 18+ years (N = 1,501,267)

From: Epidemiology of arthritis, chronic back pain, gout, osteoporosis, spondyloarthropathies and rheumatoid arthritis among 1.5 million patients in Australian general practice: NPS MedicineWise MedicineInsight dataset

 

% of all data

Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal disease (2010–2016)a

Current consultation for chronic pain

(2013–2016)b

% of patients with a MSK that consulted for chronic pain (2013–2016)b

%

%c

PR (95%CI)c

%c

PR (95%CI)c

State

  

P < 0.001

 

P = 0.006

 

 New South Wales (NSW)

28.2

17.6

Ref

22.7

Ref

57.5

 Victoria (VIC)

25.5

16.5

0.94 (0.85–1.04)

22.2

0.98 (0.84–1.14)

58.1

 Queensland (QLD)

18.7

16.9

0.96 (0.88;1.06)

19.8

0.87 (0.77–0.99)

53.4

 Western Australia (WA)

13.3

14.7

0.83 (0.72–0.96)

19.1

0.84 (0.72–0.99)

55.9

 Tasmania (TAS)

8.0

19.4

1.10 (1.01–1.21)

21.8

0.96 (0.83–1.12)

52.8

 South Australia (SA)

3.4

17.3

0.98 (0.87;1.11)

22.3

0.98 (0.82–1.17)

54.9

 Australia Capital Territory (ACT)

1.6

18.8

1.07 (0.73;1.58)

26.1

1.15 (0.77–1.71)

63.8

 North Territory (NT)

1.3

10.2

0.58 (0.39;0.88)

8.8

0.39 (0.22–0.67)

38.0

Rurality

  

P = 0.05

 

P = 0.07

 

 Major cities

63.0

16.4

Ref

21.4

Ref

57.2

 Inner regional

24.2

18.1

1.11 (1.02–1.20)

22.4

1.05 (0.93–1.17)

55.5

 Outer regional

11.2

16.9

1.03 (0.95–1.12)

19.4

0.91 (0.80–1.02)

52.4

 Remote Australia

1.6

14.6

0.89 (0.71–1.12)

16.6

0.78 (0.61–1.00)

49.0

Socioeconomic position (SEIFA-IRSAD quintiles)

  

P < 0.001

 

P < 0.001

 

 1 (Lowest)

17.3

18.9

Ref

23.8

Ref

57.1

 2

15.7

19.1

1.01 (0.93–1.08)

23.5

0.99 (0.90–1.08)

57.2

 3

20.5

16.5

0.87 (0.80–0.94)

20.2

0.85 (0.77–0.93)

54.2

 4

20.1

16.5

0.87 (0.81–0.94)

21.2

0.89 (0.81–0.98)

56.3

 5 (Highest)

26.4

14.6

0.77 (0.71–0.84)

19.6

0.83 (0.74–0.93)

56.0

Pension

  

P < 0.001

 

P < 0.001

 

 None

22.9

13.3

Ref

17.8

Ref

51.5

 Pensioner or health care card

32.6

21.7

1.64 (1.52–1.76)

26.0

1.46 (1.32–1.63)

59.0

 Department of Veterans Affair

1.3

24.1

1.82 (1.68–1.98)

29.6

1.66 (1.47–1.88)

60.8

 Ignored

43.2

14.3

1.08 (0.98–1.19)

20.3

1.14 (1.00–1.31)

55.1

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

  

P < 0.001

 

P < 0.001

 

 No

69.7

17.6

Ref

22.2

Ref

56.9

 Yes

1.8

22.9

1.30 (1.22–1.39)

25.8

1.16 (1.08–1.24)

58.2

 Ignored

28.6

14.7

0.83 (0.79–0.88)

19.0

0.85 (0.80–0.91)

53.8

Smoking status

  

P < 0.001

 

P < 0.001

 

 Non-smoker

50.3

16.8

Ref

21.3

Ref

54.8

 Ex-smoker

20.1

19.8

1.17 (1.15–1.19)

24.4

1.14 (1.12–1.17)

57.2

 Current smoker

14.5

20.5

1.22 (1.19–1.25)

24.8

1.17 (1.12–1.21)

59.4

 Ignored

15.1

10.0

0.65 (0.61–0.70)

15.7

0.69 (0.64–0.75)

54.4

  1. a Considering the whole period since the first register available in the MedicineInsight dataset (2000–2016), and including those positives for arthritis, chronic back pain, gout, osteoporosis, spondyloarthropathies and/or rheumatoid arthritis
  2. b Consultation between 10/2013 and 06/2016
  3. c Prevalence, prevalence ratios (PR) and p-values estimated based on Poisson Regression models, adjusted for sex and age. P-values of heterogeneity indicating differences across categories of each independent variable
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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

ISSN: 1471-2474

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