The relative contributions of illness perceptions, characteristics of pain, and socio-demographic factors to treatment-seeking behavior in musculoskeletal pain: A study in a tribal community in West Bengal, India

Article Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Abstract

Musculoskeletal pain is a serious public health concern, yet many sufferers do not seek treatment. While socio-demographics and pain-related variables have been investigated extensively, the importance of illness perceptions in treatment-seeking is becoming increasingly recognized. The study aimed to elucidate the relative contributions of illness perceptions, characteristics of musculoskeletal pain, and socio-demographic factors to treatment-seeking behavior in musculoskeletal pain among the Santal tribal people with musculoskeletal pain inhabiting rural sectors in West Bengal, India. This community-based cross-sectional study enrolled 212 Santal individuals (78 males and 134 females) who experienced any form of musculoskeletal pain within six months before the survey. Data on socio-demographic and musculoskeletal pain characteristics were collected using structured questionnaires. The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire was used to obtain illness perceptions regarding musculoskeletal pain. Results showed that over half of the participants did not seek any treatment for their musculoskeletal pain. Hierarchical binary logistic regression revealed that illness perceptions played the central role in seeking treatment, followed by pain characteristics, whereas socio-demographic factors had no significant impact. It highlights the importance of educating participants about musculoskeletal pain to positively influence their illness perceptions and enhance treatment-seeking behavior.

DOI

10.1080/10911359.2025.2464702

Publication Date

1-1-2025

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