Study: Standardized descriptions for health states associated with musculoskeletal diseases

The study Health State Descriptions for Canadians: Musculoskeletal Diseases provides standardized descriptions of how living with musculoskeletal diseases (those involving bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and other connective tissue) affects the health-related quality of life of Canadians. It is the third of a series that covers several major disease groupings.

While musculoskeletal diseases can be managed to a large extent, the health-related quality of life of those affected may be significantly reduced by factors such as the pain, emotional distress and limitations in social activities that accompany many of these diseases.

This new study provides standardized descriptions of how living with various musculoskeletal diseases affects the day-to-day activities of Canadians in terms of physical, mental and social limitations.

These descriptions are the first step in measuring how living with different musculoskeletal diseases affects health. This work includes the musculoskeletal diseases having a significant impact on population health, such as back pain, repetitive strain injury, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and fibromyalgia.

For each such disease, the study describes a "typical" case based on a review of the scientific literature and consultation with clinical experts. Although the experience of a particular disease will vary from individual to individual, these descriptions are needed to measure health at the population level.

This study is part of the research program called Population Health Impact of Disease in Canada. It is a collaborative effort involving Statistics Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and researchers from McGill University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Manitoba, the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and the Agence de développement de réseaux locaux de services de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie.

The document Health State Descriptions for Canadians: Musculoskeletal Diseases (82-619-MIE2006003, free) is now available for free online. From the Our products and services page under Browse our Internet publications, choose Free and then Health.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, or to obtain a copy of the study, contact Cameron N. McIntosh (1-613-951-3725; cameron.mcintosh@statcan.ca), Health Analysis and Measurement Group.