What Proportion of East African Refugees Report Musculoskeletal Problems? A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of disability worldwide and disproportionally affect individuals in low-income and middle-income countries. There is a dearth of evidence on musculoskeletal problems among refugees, 74% of whom reside in low-income and middle-income countries.

Questions/purposes: (1) What proportion of refugees in Nyarugusu Camp, Kigoma, western Tanzania, are affected by musculoskeletal problems and what are the characteristics of those individuals? (2) What are the characteristics of these musculoskeletal problems, including their causes, location, and duration? (3) What forms of healthcare do those with musculoskeletal problems seek, including those for both musculoskeletal and nonmusculoskeletal problems?

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among refugees in Nyarugusu Camp, using the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need tool. The Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need tool is a validated population-based survey tool developed for use in limited-resource settings that is intended to determine the prevalence of surgical disease in a community. It uses a cluster random sampling methodology with house-to-house data collection in the form of a verbal head-to-toe examination that is performed by a trained community healthcare worker. A total of 99% responded, and 3574 records were analyzed. The mean age of respondents was 23 ± 18 years, with under 18 as the most-represented age group (44% [1563]). A total of 57% (2026) of respondents were women, 79% (2802 of 3536) were generally healthy, and 92% (3297 of 3570) had visited a camp medical facility. Only records endorsing musculoskeletal problems (extremity or back) were included in this analysis. Using all refugees surveyed as our denominator and refugees who endorsed a musculoskeletal problem (extremity or back) as the numerator, we calculated the proportion of refugees who endorsed a musculoskeletal problem. We then analyzed the characteristics of those endorsing musculoskeletal problems, including their healthcare-seeking behavior, and the characteristics of the musculoskeletal problems themselves.

Results: Among 3574 refugees interviewed, 22% (769) reported musculoskeletal problems, with 17% (609) reporting extremity problems and 7% (266) reporting back problems. Among all people surveyed, 8% (290) reported current extremity problems while 5% (188) reported current back problems. Among those reporting musculoskeletal problems, respondents younger than 18 years were the most-represented age group for extremity problems (28% [169 of 609]) whereas respondents between 30 and 44 years of age were the most-represented age group for back problems (29% [76 of 266]). Wounds from an injury or trauma (24% [133 of 557]) and acquired disability (24% [133 of 557]) were the most-common causes of extremity problems, whereas acquired disability (53% [97 of 184]) followed by a wound not from injury or trauma (25% [45 of 184]) were the most common causes of back problems. Fifty percent (303) of those with extremity problems characterized it as disabling, whereas 76% (203) of those with back problems did.

Conclusion: Over one of five refugees endorsed musculoskeletal problems, which are most often caused by acquired disease and injury. These musculoskeletal problems are often characterized as disabling, yet only slightly more than half have sought treatment for problems. This warrants further research on care-seeking behavior in this setting, and emphasizes that investing in the spectrum of musculoskeletal health systems, including medical management and rehabilitation services, is critical to decreasing disability caused by musculoskeletal problems.

Level of evidence: Level IV, prognostic study.

Fig. 1

This graph depicts the proportions of extremity problems by anatomic location. A color image accompanies the online version of this article.