Observations on rheumatic disease in Polynesia and the Philippines.

Two different types of study of rheumatic disease in the southwest Pacific are outlined. The Philippines study of a rural developing population is primarily oriented to intervention rather than causation, but before intervention can be effectively planned, information on the frequency and causes of rheumatic complaints is necessary. The Tokelauan investigation is a comprehensive prospective study of the total population with full medical examination of each subject allowing hypotheses to be tested concerning genetic and environmental variables.