Summary
Many difficulties were encountered in a population survey of rheumatic complaints in a remote village area in the Philippines affecting the reliability of estimates of population prevalence. In phase I, a simple questionnaire identified 269 adults out of 950 who had rheumatic symptoms. In Phase II, 234 or 87% of positive respondents were requestioned using a more detailed pro forma. There were 196 with peripheral joint pain, 67 with neck pain and 137 with back pain. One third attributed their symptoms to work and 127 subjects had to stop work because of their complaints. Disability, including an inability to carry loads, affected nearly 1.8% of the population. Questions designed to detect rheumatoid arthritis and gout were not satisfactorily answered. Of those with complaints, 82% indicated that they still required help for their symptoms. In phase III, 166 subjects were medically examined. Osteoarthritis of the knee was found in 25 and 17 had Heberden's nodes. There were 16 with epicondylitis; 16 had rotator cuff pain and 35 had levator scapulae insertion pain. Three of these and three others had neck or shoulder swellings related to carrying loads on poles. Definite rheumatoid arthritis was diagnosed in two subjects and gout in five. No case of ankylosing spondylitis was identified. Thus, rheumatic complaints were common in this rural, community and were frequently severe enough to cause disability and loss of time from work. Health worker education is required on how to handle these problems.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Wigley RD, Manahan L, Caragay R, Muirden KD, Valkenburg HA, Allander E, Prior IAM (1983) Observations of rheumatic disease in Polynesia and the Philippines. J Rheumatol Spec Rep 10:37–39
Beasley RP Bennett PH (1983) Low prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Chinese. J Rheumatol Spec Rep 10:11–15
Manahan L, Caragay R, Muirden KD, Allander E, Valkenburg HA, Wigley RD (1985) Rheumatic pain in a Philippine village. A WHO-ILAR COPCORD study. Rheumatol Int 5:149–153
Wigley RD, Prior IAM, Salmond C, Stanley D, Pinfold B (1987) Rheumatic complaints in Tokelau. II. A comparison of migrants in New Zealand and non-migrants. The Tokelau migrant study. Rheumatol Int 7:61–65
Altman RD (1987) Criteria for the classification of osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. Scand J Rheum [Suppl] 65:31–39
Darmawan J (1988) Rheumatic conditions in the Northern part of central Java. An epidemiological survey. Doctorate thesis, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Morimoto I (1982) Attrition lesions of articular cartilage in Japanese knee joint due to formal sitting and squatting postures. J Anthrop Soc Nippon [Suppl] 90:163–176
Hoaglund FT, Yau ACMC, Wong WL (1973) Osteoarthritis of the hip and other joints in southern Chinese in Hong Kong. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 55:546–557
Solomon L, McLaren PM, Irwig L, Gear J, Schnitzler CM, Gear A, Mann D (1986) Distinct types of hip disease in Msleni joint disease. S Afr Med J 69:15–17
Healey LA, Caner JEZ, Decker JL (1966) Ethnic variations in uric acid. I: Filipino hyperuricaemia in a controlled environment. Arthritis Rheum 9:288–294
Prior IAM, Welby TJ, Øestbye T, Salmond CE, Stokes YM (1987) Migration and gout. The Tokelau Island migrant study. Br Med J 295:457–460
Darmawan J, Wigley RD, Valkenburg HA, Muirden KD (1984) Disturbing findings in Indonesia. SEAPAL Bull 4:6–7
Fahrni WH (1975) Conservative treatment of lumbar disc degeneration. Orthop Clin North Am 6:93–102
Valkenburg HS, Haanen HCA (1982) The epidemiology of back pain. In: White AA, Gordon SL (eds) Idiopathic back pain. Mosby, St Louis, pp 9–22
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wigley, R., Manahan, L., Muirden, K.D. et al. Rheumatic disease in a Philippine village II: A WHO-ILAR-APLAR COPCORD study, phases II and III. Rheumatol Int 11, 157–161 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00332554
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00332554