[Musculoskeletal disorders in the Icelandic population]

In an attempt to survey the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the Icelandic population, this study was carried out on a random sample of men and women of the ages 16 to 65 years. The aims were to gather reference material for future use as a basis for comparison with results from different subgroups of the working population. The cohort comprised 855 subjects, 421 men and 434 women. The questionnaires used had been developed by a working group supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The participation rate was 73.5 per cent. The highest prevalence of symptoms during previous 12 months was that for symptoms are reported by the men from the neck, shoulders, lower back and head. The prevalence of symptoms in each region differed considerably between age groups. We are not aware of any other study performed with such questionnaires on a representative national sample. In this sample, the prevalence of symptoms was high in both sexes, as compared to those prevalences found in a variety of Swedish populations representing a vide range of occupations and work tasks.