Musculoskeletal impairment among Syrian refugees living in Sultanbeyli, Turkey: prevalence, cause, diagnosis and need for related services and assistive products

Conflict and Health

Nathaniel Scherer¹  Hannah Kuper¹  Timothy O’Fallon¹  Dorothy Boggs¹  Sarah Polack¹  Allen Foster²  Oluwarantimi Atijosan-Ayodele³  İbrahim Akıncı⁴  Ahmed Örücü⁴  Gülten Deniz⁴  Andrea Patterson⁵  Selin Volkan⁵  Isotta Pivato⁵  Hisem Yonso⁵  Ammar Hasan Beck⁵ 

[1] International Centre for Evidence in Disability, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK;International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK;Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Maidstone, UK;Mülteciler Derneği, Istanbul, Turkey;Relief International, Istanbul, Turkey;

关键词: Population;    Prevalence;    Musculoskeletal impairment;    Syrian refugee;    Survey;    Services;    Assistive products;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13031-021-00362-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundEpidemiological data on musculoskeletal impairment (MSI) and related service and assistive product (AP) needs for displaced populations are lacking. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, aetiology, and specific MSI diagnosis and the need for related services and APs among Syrian refugees living in Sultanbeyli, a district in Istanbul, Turkey.MethodsA population-based survey used probability proportionate to size and compact segment sampling to select 80 clusters (‘street’) of 50 individuals (aged 2+), for total sample size of approximately 4000 participants. An updated version of the Rapid Assessment of MSI tool (RAM) was used to screen all participants using six questions. Any participant who screened positive underwent a standardised examination by a physiotherapist to assess the presence, aetiology, severity and specific diagnosis of MSI and an assessment of need for related services and APs.ResultsThe all-age prevalence of MSI was 12.2% (95% CI 10.8–13.7) and this increased significantly with age to 43.8% in people 50 and older. Over half (51%) of MSI was classified as moderate, 30% as mild and 19% as severe. The war in Syria was identified as the direct cause for 8% of people with MSI. The majority (56%) of MSI diagnoses were acquired non-traumatic causes. There was high unmet need for rehabilitation services; for example, 83% of people with MSI could benefit from physiotherapy but were not receiving this service. Overall, 19% of people with MSI had an unmet need for at least one AP. Apart from availability of walking sticks/canes, coverage was low with less than half the people with MSI who needed APs and services had received them. The most common reasons for not seeking services and APs were ‘need not felt’, lack of service availability and of awareness of services, and financial barriers.ConclusionsMSI is common among the Syrian refugee population living in Sultanbeyli District, particularly older adults, however less than half have been able to access relevant services and APs. These findings can inform the planning of health services for migrant populations, including the essential integration of rehabilitation and APs, and increase access to these vital services.

【 授权许可】

CC BY