prevalence of the musculoskeletal pains in relation to age, sex and residential area in the province of isphahan

to determine the prevalence of the musculoskeletal pain and its distribution by age, sex, and residential area in the province of isphahan. a sample consisting of 3753 urban and 2917 rural inhabtants were examined by a qualified medical team. our results indicate that the prevalence of the complaints for musculoskeletal pain increases with age to reach a maximum of 50% in those sixty years of age and more. in relation to sex and residential area, the overall prevalence rate was found to be higher in women by a factor of one and a half, and to be 1.7 times more prevalent among rural inhabitants when compared with the city dwellers.