Epidemiology of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in a Nigerian peri-urban community: results of a cross-sectional survey using the COPCORD stage 1 model.

Introduction: There is relative neglect of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While hospital-based reports on RMDs abound, there is a paucity of population-based reports on these conditions which are otherwise recognized to cause functional disability and reduced quality of life in the affected individuals. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the prevalence, diagnostic types, and predictors of musculoskeletal (MSK) pain in Agbowa, a peri-urban community in Lagos, South-West Nigeria.