Rheumatic Complaints in Dockyard Workers.

Studies of the prevalence of rheumatic symptoms in coalminers over the age of 15 years have been carried out by Kellgren, Lawrence, and Aitken-Swan (1953), and Anderson, Duthie, and Moody (1962). The prevalence rates recorded in these two studies were not the same and it was suggested that the difference might have arisen from differences in technique. The former workers indicated that there was no significant difference between the complaint rates for coalminers and for other industrial workers. Preliminary observations by Duthie and Anderson (1962) showed quite a wide range of prevalence rates in different groups of workers, but most of these were ascribed to differences in the age distributions of those being studied. Numbers were small, however, and it was deemed advisable to repeat these observations in a large community, and to include skilled and unskilled workers and also those working in different environments. It was decided that this work should be done as part of a continuing study of the social and economic effects of rheumatic disease on the working population with particular reference to work history and sickness absence. A large concern with different occupations, uniform arrangements for sickness benefit, and good medical records was sought. Such an industrial group was found at Rosyth dockyard, near Edinburgh, and permission was obtained from the Admiralty to carry out a study on a sample of the manual workers.