Epidemiology of pain in back and extremities in rural population: A community-based estimation of age- and sex-specific prevalence, distribution, duration and intensity of pain, number of painful sites and seasonality of pain during twelve months in rural Gadchiroli, India

Background Population-based estimates of the burden of pain in back and extremities (PBE) by sex, age, intensity, seasonality and site are lacking from rural India. Methods Two villages were randomly selected from a cluster of 39 villages in Gadchiroli district in India. All residents' >= 20 years of age were surveyed in January 2010 by trained surveyors by making household visits. Information on PBE in the 12 months prior to survey was obtained using a structured, pretested questionnaire. Results The 12-month period prevalence of PBE was 75% (95% confidence interval CI = 72.54-77.73) in men and 91% (95% CI = 88.66-92.13) in women. The prevalence of PBE in the participants >50 years was 94% while that in the age group 20 to 50 years was 79% (P < 0.05). The site with the highest prevalence of pain was low back (women 80%, men 59%). The mean number of painful sites per person was 5.42 (95% CI = 5.17-5.67) in women, 3.68 (95% CI = 3.45-3.90) in men, 3.89 (95% CI = 3.71-4.07) in participants aged 20 to 50 years and 6.48 (95% CI = 6.11-6.85) in those >50 years. Among participants across the age and sex groups, the prevalence of mild pain was higher than severe pain at all the anatomical sites. Among various seasons, the highest prevalence of pain was in the rainy season (14%). Conclusion The prevalence and the number of painful sites were higher among women and in those >50 years of age. The public health interventions for PBE need to focus on these two high risk groups.