Has musculoskeletal pain become less prevalent?

The changes in the one-year prevalence rates of low-back, neck-shoulder and joint pains were studied in Finnish farmers during 1979-1992. A health survey was carried out among a representative sample of Finnish farmers (n = 11,368) with a postal questionnaire in 1979 and in another representative sample (n = 3237) using a computer-assisted telephone interview in 1992. Both surveys inquired for musculoskeletal symptoms during the previous year. The one-year prevalence of low-back and joint pain had decreased in all sex and age groups. The total prevalence of neck-shoulder pain had decreased slightly, but not significantly in either sex. The changes in the occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints from 1979 to 1992 may be attributed to the farming policy of the 1980s in Finland. This study is in line with earlier studies showing that musculoskeletal morbidity per se has not increased in the past decade. Even the reverse seems true, if morbidity is defined as trends in symptom occurrence.