ABSTRACT
A number of studies have compared the extent of musculoskeletal complaints in the adult working populations using the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. The design of such studies has typically involved cross-sectional cohorts of occupational groups being used as referent populations to each other. The self-reported complaints of aches, pain or discomfort relating to a particular body area lead to a percentage being determined for those reporting positively. The difficulty lies in then deciding when a particular percentage indicates that there is reason for concern and action is needed. The current paper proposes an interpretation system based on the annual prevalence, discusses its limitations and offers suggestions on its future development.
