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Table 1 Characteristics of the study population (n = 21,389), stratified by country

From: Arthritis diagnosis and symptoms are positively associated with specific physical job exposures in lower- and middle-income countries: cross-sectional results from the World Health Organization’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

Characteristics

Ghana (n = 4140)

India (n = 9210)

Russian Federation (n = 5523)

South Africa (n = 2516)

Exposure to the physical exposures measured in the Job Exposure Matrix

 Heavy physical work

2955 (71.4%)

5650 (61.3%)

1345 (24.3%)

1136 (45.1%)

 Kneeling or squatting

1278 (30.9%)

1440 (15.6%)

606 (11.0%)

783 (31.1%)

 Heavy lifting

1762 (42.5%)

4077 (44.3%)

536 (9.7%)

329 (13.1%)

 Arm elevation

148 (3.6%)

216 (2.3%)

354 (6.4%)

97 (3.9%)

 Awkward trunk posture

3004 (72.5%)

2732 (29.7%)

698 (12.6%)

310 (12.3%)

Sex

 Male

2435 (58.8%)

5528 (60.0%)

1906 (34.5%)

998 (39.7%)

 Female

1706 (41.2%)

3682 (40.0%)

3617 (65.5%)

1518 (60.3%)

Age groups (years)

 30–39

84 (2.0%)

786 (8.5%)

246 (4.4%)

20 (0.8%)

 40–49

246 (5.9%)

1295 (14.1%)

242 (4.4%)

113 (4.5%)

 50–59

269 (6.5%)

1028 (11.2%)

209 (3.8%)

55 (2.2%)

 60–69

1340 (32.4%)

2817 (30.6%)

2010 (36.4%)

1193 (47.4%)

 70–79

1105 (26.7%)

2133 (23.2%)

1277 (23.1%)

663 (26.3%)

 ≥80

1096 (26.5%)

1151 (12.5%)

1539 (27.9%)

472 (18.8%)

Body mass index (BMI)

 < 25 (kg/m2)

576 (14.2%)

2944 (32.8%)

65 (1.3%)

96 (3.9%)

 25–29.99 (kg/m2)

2472 (61.1%)

4832 (53.9%)

1366 (26.7%)

603 (24.8%)

 30–34.99 (kg/m2)

631 (15.6%)

1008 (11.2%)

2056 (40.2%)

807 (33.1%)

 ≥35 (kg/m2)

366 (9.0%)

183 (2.0%)

1631 (31.9%)

929 (38.1%)

Household income quintiles

 Quintile 1 (lowest income)

866 (20.9%)

1662 (18.1%)

819 (14.9%)

423 (16.8%)

 Quintile 2

816 (19.7%)

1616 (17.6%)

980 (17.8%)

620 (24.7%)

 Quintile 3

737 (17.8%)

1804 (19.6%)

949 (17.2%)

443 (17.6%)

 Quintile 4

821 (19.8%)

2037 (22.2%)

1232 (22.4%)

411 (16.3%)

 Quintile 5 (highest income)

897 (21.7%)

2061 (22.4%)

1530 (27.8%)

616 (24.5%)

Educational attainment

 No schooling

2065 (50.1%)

3678 (39.9%)

32 (0.6%)

457 (20.9%)

 Some primary school

447 (10.8%)

964 (10.5%)

46 (0.8%)

418 (19.1%)

 Primary school completed

492 (11.9%)

1479 (16.1%)

390 (7.1%)

484 (22.1%)

 Secondary school completed

965 (23.4%)

2322 (25.2%)

3392 (61.4%)

640 (29.2%)

 Tertiary education completed

152 (3.7%)

767 (8.3%)

1662 (30.1%)

192 (8.8%)

 Marital status

 Never married

141 (3.4%)

348 (3.8%)

303 (5.5%)

354 (14.6%)

 Married/cohabiting

2650 (64.3%)

7593 (82.4%)

3231 (58.5%)

1302 (53.6%)

 Separated/divorced/widow

1329 (32.3%)

1268 (13.8%)

1986 (36.0%)

772 (31.8%)

Region

 Urban

1561 (37.7%)

2817 (30.6%)

4577 (82.9%)

1810 (72.0%)

 Rural

2580 (62.3%)

6393 (69.4%)

946 (17.1%)

704 (28.0%)