Peculiarities of children's morbidity with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue in the in the Chechen Republic.

Abstract

Pathology of the musculoskeletal system is of great medical and social importance and is one of the ten most common diseases. The high prevalence of diseases is due to a variety of risk factors. Polyethics, Cultural, Territorial and Demographic Features of the Chechen Republic (high birth rate, high proportion of the child population, predominance of rural residents, shortage of medical personnel), are reflected in the specifics of the provision of medical care to the population, and the analysis of the incidence of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue in children is of interest and the need for detailed consideration. The purpose of the study: to determine the peculiarities of primary and general morbidity of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue in children in the Chechen Republic. Materials and methods. Primary and general morbidity rates of children with musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases were assessed and analyzed according to official statistical reports and publications of the Federal State Statistics Service and the Ministry of Health of Russia for the Chechen Republic in dynamics for 2016–2022. Statistical processing was performed in MS Office‑2016 program (Word, Excel). Results. The study showed a low incidence of musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases in children in the Chechen Republic. The incidence of children in the groups of 0–14 and 15–17 years for the last 7 years has generally had a decreasing dynamics, with a change of trend: a decrease in 2016–2019 and an increase in cases of most nosologies in 2020–2022. Against the background of the COVID‑19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in deforming dorsopathies and arthropathies in general, including reactive arthropathies and juvenile arthritis. At the same time, no such correlation was found in rheumatoid arthritis: against the background of the pandemic, the downward trend in the registration of cases was continued. Conclusions. When organizing medical care for children with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, the prevalence of pathology, the level of medical staffing and the age composition of the child population should be taken into account. During 2016–2022, a decrease in primary morbidity prevailed in children 0–14 years of age, and in adolescents – in total morbidity. The COVID‑19 pandemic (the virus itself, decreased physical activity, and conditions limiting the availability of ambulatory care) contributed to the increase in most arthropathies and deforming dorsopathies. On the contrary, the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in children has been steadily decreasing for 7 years.