Functional Disability and Musculoskeletal Disorders Among the Adult Indian Population: A Cross-sectional Study

Background and aims: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the second leading cause of disability, which is measured by Years Lived with Disability (YLDs). In India, the prevalence of MSDs is not well documented. The present study aimed to study the prevalence of MSDs and their effect on the physical functional ability of patients. Methods: The present study is a community-based cross-sectional study undertaken in a village of western Maharashtra, India. A total of 330 subjects were included by systematic random sampling. The study included all adults (>18 years) who were permanent residents of the study area. The interviews with subjects were conducted through a door-to-door survey in the community using a predefined questionnaire. Functional disability was measured using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ CRD Pune version). Results were analyzed using the Chi-square and t-test. Results: The overall prevalence of MSDs was 33.03%. The development of MSD was more common in patients older than 60 years (56.2%), with female predominance (16.9%). The mean HAQ score in the study population was 13.13±4.429, indicating severe disability. The majority of them had a moderate functional disability (48.62%), and 27.52% had a severe functional disability, which highlights the significant impact of MSDs on functional ability. Among those affected by MSDs, walking was the most commonly affected activity, accounting for 27.52% of patients. Conclusion: MSDs significantly impact functional ability and interfere with daily living activities. There is an urgent need to emphasize decreasing this functional disability and improving daily living activities among those affected in rural areas.