Effective population health interventions for the primary prevention of musculoskeletal conditions

The Prevention and Population Health Branch of the Victorian Department of Health commissioned a rapid review of the evidence for health promotion and prevention programs for primary prevention of musculoskeletal conditions, specifically osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP). Five at-risk target groups were specified by the brief: older people (aged 65 years and over); socioeconomically disadvantaged people; Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people; people at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency (for ethnicity or cultural reasons); and children and young people (particularly with low calcium/vitamin D intakes). The brief requested that the main emphasis of the review be on interventions to: promote healthy eating; promote regular physical activity; maintain a healthy weight; avoid tobacco use; and avoid high-risk use of alcohol, as appropriate to primary prevention of musculoskeletal conditions in each of the target groups. The role of this rapid review was to provide evidence specific to prevention of OA/OP in the specified target groups. The general population literature on prevention of lifestyle risk factors is both vast and outside the scope and time frame of the rapid review. The findings from this rapid review will be used to help identify priorities for action in planning health promotion and prevention programs.