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Background: A healthy diet can decrease the risk of several lifestyle diseases. From studying the health effects of single foods, research now focuses on examining complete diets and dietary patterns reflecting the combined intake of different foods. The main goals of the current study were to identify dietary patterns and then investigate how these differ in terms of sex, age, educational level and physical activity level (PAL) in a general Nordic population. Methods: We used data from the seventh survey of the population-based Tromsø Study in Norway, conducted in 2015-2016. The study included 21,083 participants aged 40 - 99 years, of which 72 % completed a comprehensive food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). After exclusion, the study sample included 10,899 participants with valid FFQ data. First, to cluster food variables, the participants were partitioned in homogeneous cohorts according to sex, age, educational level and PAL. Non-overlapping diet groups were then identified using repeated hierarchical cluster analysis on the food variables. Second, average standardized diet intake scores were calculated for all individuals for each diet group. The individual diet (intake) scores were then modelled in terms of age, education and PAL using regression models. Differences in diet scores according to education and PAL were investigated by pairwise hypothesis tests, controlling the nominal significance level using Tukey's method. Results: The cluster analysis revealed three dietary patterns, here named the Meat and Sweets diet, the Traditional diet, and the Plant-based- and Tea diet. Women had a lower intake of the Traditional diet and a higher preference for the Plant-based- and Tea diet compared to men. Preference for the Meat and Sweets diet and Traditional diet showed significant negative and positive trends as function of age, respectively. Adjusting for age, the group having high education and high PAL compared favourably with the group having low education and low PAL, having a significant lower intake of the Meat and Sweets and the Traditional diets and a significant higher intake of the Plant-based- and Tea diet. Conclusions: Three dietary patterns (Meat and Sweets, Traditional, and Plant-based- and Tea) were found by repeated clustering of randomly sampled homogeneous cohorts of individuals. Diet preferences depended significantly on sex, age, education and PAL, showing a more unhealthy dietary pattern with lower age, low education and low PAL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Structural variants (SVs), including deletions, insertions, duplications, and inversions, are relatively long genomic variations implicated in a diverse range of processes from human disease to ecology and evolution. Given their complex signatures, tendency to occur in repeated regions, and large size, discovering SVs based on short reads is challenging compared to single-nucleotide variants. The increasing availability of long-read technologies has greatly facilitated SV discovery; however, these technologies remain too costly to apply routinely to population-level studies. Here, we combined short-read and long-read sequencing technologies to provide a comprehensive population-scale assessment of structural variation in a panel of Canadian soybean cultivars. Results: We used Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing data (~12× mean coverage) for 17 samples to both benchmark SV calls made from Illumina short-read data and predict SVs that were subsequently genotyped in a population of 102 samples using Illumina data. Benchmarking results show that variants discovered using Oxford Nanopore can be accurately genotyped from the Illumina data. We first use the genotyped deletions and insertions for population genetics analyses and show that results are comparable to those based on single-nucleotide variants. We observe that the population frequency and distribution within the genome of deletions and insertions are constrained by the location of genes. Gene Ontology and PFAM domain enrichment analyses also confirm previous reports that genes harboring high-frequency deletions and insertions are enriched for functions in defense response. Finally, we discover polymorphic transposable elements from the deletions and insertions and report evidence of the recent activity of a Stowaway MITE. Conclusions: We show that structural variants discovered using Oxford Nanopore data can be genotyped with high accuracy from Illumina data. Our results demonstrate that long-read and short-read sequencing technologies can be efficiently combined to enhance SV analysis in large populations, providing a reusable framework for their study in a wider range of samples and non-model species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on the public health consequences of COVID-19 pandemic showing data based on robust methods are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate mental and physical health as well as living conditions and lifestyle habits in the general population before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in Sweden.Methods: The study is based on 2273 persons 16-84 years who responded to the national public health survey in February-May 2020 in Värmland county (overall response rate 45%). The differences between early respondents (before the outbreak, n = 1711) and late respondents (after the outbreak, n = 562) were studied using multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for background characteristics: age, gender, educational level, and country of birth. The same analyses were also completed in the corresponding survey carried out in February-June 2018.Results: Statistically significant differences between the groups were obtained for economic difficulties and worry about losing one's job, which were more common among late respondents, and for sleeping difficulties, which were more common among early respondents after adjusting for background characteristics. There were no differences in other living conditions nor in lifestyle factors. Prevalence of good self-rated health, high blood pressure, aches in shoulders or neck, anxiety or worry and stress did not differ between the groups. In 2018, the only statistically significant difference between early and late respondents concerned economic difficulties.Conclusions: Very few differences in living conditions, lifestyle factors and health were observed in the study population before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. The results suggest that, in addition to a possible decrease in sleeping difficulties, the prevalence of being worried about losing one's job increased among the employed after the outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-coding RNA 886 (nc886) is coded from a maternally inherited metastable epiallele. We set out to investigate the determinants and dynamics of the methylation pattern at the nc886 epiallele and how this methylation status associates with nc886 RNA expression. Furthermore, we investigated the associations between the nc886 methylation status or the levels of nc886 RNAs and metabolic traits in the YFS and KORA cohorts. The association between nc886 epiallele methylation and RNA expression was also validated in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. Results: We confirm that the methylation status of the nc886 epiallele is mostly binomial, with individuals displaying either a non- or hemi-methylated status, but we also describe intermediately and close to fully methylated individuals. We show that an individual's methylation status is associated with the mother's age and socioeconomic status, but not with the individual's own genetics. Once established, the methylation status of the nc886 epiallele remains stable for at least 25 years. This methylation status is strongly associated with the levels of nc886 non-coding RNAs in serum, blood, and iPSC lines. In addition, nc886 methylation status associates with glucose and insulin levels during adolescence but not with the indicators of glucose metabolism or the incidence of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. However, the nc886-3p RNA levels also associate with glucose metabolism in adulthood. Conclusions: These results indicate that nc886 metastable epiallele methylation is tuned by the periconceptional conditions and it associates with glucose metabolism through the expression of the ncRNAs coded in the epiallele region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dried blood spots (DBS) are a relatively inexpensive source of nucleic acids and are easy to collect, transport, and store in large-scale field surveys, especially in resource-limited settings. However, their performance in whole-genome sequencing (WGS) relative to that of venous blood DNA has not been analyzed for various downstream applications. Methods: This study compares the WGS performance of DBS paired with venous blood samples collected from 12 subjects. Results: Results of standard quality checks of coverage, base quality, and mapping quality were found to be near identical between DBS and venous blood. Concordance for single-nucleotide variants, insertions and deletions, and copy number variants was high between these two sample types. Additionally, downstream analyses typical of population-based studies were performed, such as mitochondrial heteroplasmy detection, haplotype analysis, mitochondrial copy number changes, and determination of telomere lengths. The absolute mitochondrial copy number values were higher for DBS than for venous blood, though the trend in sample-to-sample variation was similar between DBS and blood. Telomere length estimates in most DBS samples were on par with those from venous blood. Conclusion: DBS samples can serve as a robust and feasible alternative to venous blood for studies requiring WGS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phenotypic expression of pathogenic variants in individuals with no family history of inherited disorders remains unclear. Methods: We evaluated the prevalence of pathogenic variants in 25 genes associated with Mendelian-inherited disorders in 3015 participants from 485 families in the Long Life Family Study (LLFS). Boot-strapping and Fisher's exact test were used to determine whether allele frequencies in LLFS were significantly different from the allele frequencies reported in publicly available genomic databases. Results: The proportions of pathogenic autosomal dominant mutation carriers in BRCA1 and SDHC in LLFS study participants were similar to those reported in publicly available genomic databases (0.03% vs. 0.0008%, p = 1 for BRCA1, and 0.08% vs. 0.003%, p = 0.05 for SDHC). The frequency of carriers of pathogenic autosomal recessive variants in CPT2, ACADM, SUMF1, WRN, ATM, and ACADVL were also similar in LLFS as compared to those reported in genomic databases. The lack of clinical disease among LLFS participants with well-established pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and SDHC suggests that penetrance of pathogenic variants may be different in long lived families. Conclusion: Further research is needed to better understand the penetrance of pathogenic variants before expanding large scale genomic testing to asymptomatic individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies examining incident heart failure (HF) have been limited to select populations. To examine incident HF with broader generalizability, there is need to assemble a HF-free cohort using a geographically-diverse sample. We aimed to develop and validate a simple medication-based strategy for assembling a HF-free cohort from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.Methods: We examined REGARDS participants with ≥6 months of Medicare inpatient and outpatient claims data at the time of the baseline in-home study examination. To assemble a HF-free cohort, we identified and excluded participants taking HF-specific medications. To validate this approach, we evaluated event rates among this cohort and assessed diagnostic performance using Medicare claims-based definitions of HF as the referent standard.Results: Among 28,884 eligible participants, 3125 were excluded from the proposed HF-free cohort, leaving a total of 25,759 (89%) participants. Depending on the Medicare definition used as the referent, the negative predictive value of this approach ranged from 95.0-99.2%. Negative predictive value was stable across age, sex, and race strata.Conclusions: The approach to assemble a HF-free cohort in REGARDS can serve as the basis for future studies to examine incident HF in REGARDS and similar studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The island country of Samoa (population 188,000 in 2011) forms part of Polynesia in the South Pacific. Over the past several decades Samoa has experienced exceptional modernization and globalization of many sectors of society, with noncommunicable diseases (NCD) now the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The evolution of risk factor prevalence underpinning the increase in NCDs, however, has not been well described, including tobacco smoking which is related to cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods: The present study examines tobacco smoking in relation to different forms and effects of globalization in Samoa using 7 population-based surveys (n = 9223) over 1978-2013.Results: The prevalence of daily tobacco smoking steadily decreased over 1978-2013 from 76% to 36% in men, and from 27% to 15% in women (p < 0.0001 both sexes). During 1991-2013, current tobacco smoking also steadily decreased from 64% to 40% in men (p < 0.0001), and from 21% to 17% in women (p < 0.05). Declines were similar in younger (25-44 years) and older (45-64 years) men and women. Colonial globalization facilitated the introduction and prolific spread of tobacco trade and consumption in the Pacific Islands from the sixteenth century, with many populations inexorably pulled into trade relations and links to the global economy. It has also been a different globalization which may have led to the decline in smoking prevalence in Samoa in recent decades, through global dissemination since the 1950s of information on the harmful effects of tobacco smoking derived from research studies in the USA and Europe.Conclusions: Over the past 35 years tobacco smoking has steadily declined among Samoan adults; the only NCD risk factor to demonstrate marked declines during this period. By 2013 tobacco smoking in women had decreased to levels similar to Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), however in men smoking prevalence remained more than three times higher than ANZ. The impact on smoking prevalence of the variety of tobacco control interventions that have been implemented so far in Samoa need to be evaluated in order to determine the most effective initiatives that should be prioritized and strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even today, 12% of the children in Sweden live in poverty and many children are exposed to adverse experiences, such as being bullied, which may have long-term consequences on public health. This study examined the associations between economic stress and condescending treatment in childhood and self-rated health (SRH) in adulthood.Methods: The study is based on 26,706 persons who responded to a postal survey questionnaire sent to a random sample of men and women aged 25-84 years in 2012 (response rate 53%). The associations between childhood circumstances and adult SRH were analysed by logistic regression, adjusting for sex, age, economic stress in adulthood, condescending treatment in adulthood, socioeconomic status and several other known material, behavioural and psychosocial risk factors.Results: In total, 39% of both men and women reported economic stress in their family during childhood. 36% of the men and 41% of the women indicated that they had been treated in a condescending manner, e.g. in school or at home, during childhood. Both economic stress in childhood and condescending treatment in childhood were strongly associated with adult SRH. The associations attenuated, but were still statistically significant after adjustment for adulthood circumstances and other risk factors.Conclusion: Economic stress in childhood and condescending treatment in childhood were associated with SRH in adulthood, both independently and through adulthood circumstances. The results underline the importance of taking into account both material and psychosocial circumstances over the whole life course when developing public health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migraine is a very common headache disorder on the population level, characterized by symptomatic attacks (activity). For many people with migraine, the migraine symptoms intermittently or permanently cease during their lifetime (inactive migraine). The current diagnostic classification of migraine considers two states: active migraine (having migraine symptoms within the last year) and not having active migraine (including both individuals with inactive migraine and those who never had migraine). Defining a state of inactive migraine that has gone into remission may better capture the trajectories of migraine across the lifespan and contribute to a better understanding of its biological processes. We aimed to quantify the prevalence of never, active, and inactive migraine separately, using modern prevalence and incidence estimation methodology to better describe the complexity of migraine trajectories at the population level., Methods: Using a multistate modeling approach, data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, and results from a population-based study, we estimated the transition rates by which individuals moved between migraine disease states and estimated prevalences of never, active and inactive migraine. We used data from the GBD project and a hypothetical cohort of 100,000 people with a starting age of 30 and 30 years of follow-up, both in Germany and globally, stratified by sex., Results: In Germany, the estimated rate of transition from active to inactive migraine (remission rate) increased after the age of 22.5 in women and 27.5 in men. The pattern for men in Germany was similar to the one observed on the global level. The prevalence of inactive migraine among women reaches 25.7% in Germany and 16.5% globally at age 60. For men, the inactive migraine prevalence estimates at the same age were 10.4% in Germany and 7.1% globally., Conclusions: Considering an inactive migraine state explicitly reflects a different epidemiological picture of migraine across the lifecourse. We have demonstrated that many women of older ages may be in an inactive migraine state. Many pressing research questions can only be answered if population-based cohort studies collect information not only on active migraine but also on inactive migraine states., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: In recent years, reduced participation has been encountered across all epidemiological study designs, both in terms of non-response as well as refusal. A low response rate may reduce the statistical power but, more importantly, results may not be generalizable to the wider community.Methods: In a telephone survey of 1413 randomly selected members of the Australian general population and of 690 participants sourced from previous studies, we examined factors affecting people's stated willingness to participate in health research.Results: The majority of participants (61 %) expressed willingness to participate in health research in general but the percentage increased when provided with more specific information about the research. People were more willing if they have personal experience of the disease under study, and if the study was funded by government or charity rather than pharmaceutical companies. Participants from previous studies, older people and women were the groups most willing to participate. Younger men preferred online surveys, older people a written questionnaire, and few participants in any age and sex groups preferred a telephone questionnaire.Conclusion: Despite a trend toward reduced participation rates, most participants expressed their willingness to participate in health research. However, when seeking participants, researchers should be concrete and specific about the nature of the research they want to carry out. The preferred method of recommended contact varies with the demographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes have a high risk for early and extensive development of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and this excess risk is not explained by increased burden of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors. Activation of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) could be one additional mechanism for accelerated PAD and increased risk for amputation and death. We investigated the association between RAGE plasma components and the risk for PAD, amputation and death in patients with type 2 diabetes. We also estimated the rate of amputation-free survival and survival without PAD. Methods: We investigated if plasma levels of carboxymethyl-lysine, S100A12 and endosecretory RAGE (esRAGE) were associated with two endpoints: survival without development of PAD and survival without amputation in a 12 years prospective population-based cohort of 146 patients with type 2 diabetes, free from PAD at inclusion. Influence of baseline plasma levels of RAGE ligands (individually and combined by a RAGE-score) were evaluated for both endpoints in the Cox-regression analysis. Results: 106 patients survived without amputation and 93 survived without signs of PAD during follow up. Higher levels of S100A12 and RAGE-score were associated with increased risk for amputation or death, hazard ratios (HR) 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.04, 1.59] and 1.79; 95% CI [1.07, 2.99] and with increased risk for PAD or death, HR 1.22; 95% CI [1.00, 1.49] and 1.56; [1.00, 2.44] after adjustment for age and sex. The effect was decreased after adjustment for Framingham cardiovascular disease score: risk for amputation or death, HR 1.17; 95% CI [0.94, 1.46] and 1.54; [0.95, 2.49], and risk for PAD or death, HR 1.12; 95% CI [0.91, 1.38] and 1.38; [0.91, 2.11] for S100A12 and RAGE-score respectively. The incidence for amputation or death was 2.8 per 100 person-years; 95% CI [2.0, 3.7] and the incidence rate for PAD or death was 3.6 per 100 person-years; 95% CI [2.7, 4.8]. Conclusion: Higher plasma levels of S100A12 and the combined effect (RAGE-score) of esRAGE, carboxymethyl-lysine and S100A12 seem to be associated with shorter PAD- and amputation-free survival in patients with type 2 diabetes. This may indicate a role for S100A12 in PAD by activation of the RAGE system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco burdens in India and Pakistan require continued efforts to quantify tobacco use and its impacts. We examined the prevalence and sociodemographic and health-related correlates of tobacco use in Delhi, Chennai (India), and Karachi (Pakistan). Methods: Analysis of representative surveys of 11,260 participants (selected through multistage cluster random sampling; stratified by gender and age) in 2011 measured socio-demographics, tobacco use history, comorbid health conditions, and salivary cotinine. We used bivariate and multivariate regression analyses to examine factors associated with tobacco use. Results: Overall, 51.8 % were females, and 61.6 % were below the age of 45 years. Lifetime (ever) tobacco use prevalence (standardized for world population) was 45.0 %, 41.3 %, and 42.5 % among males, and 7.6 %, 8.5 %, and 19.7 % among females in Chennai, Delhi, and Karachi, respectively. Past 6 month tobacco use prevalence (standardized for world population) was 38.6 %, 36.1 %, and 39.1 % among males, and 7.3 %, 7.1 %, and 18.6 % among females in Chennai, Delhi, and Karachi, respectively. In multivariable regression analyses, residing in Delhi or Karachi versus Chennai; older age; lower education; earning less income; lower BMI; were each associated with tobacco use in both sexes. In addition, semi-skilled occupation versus not working and alcohol use were associated with tobacco use in males, and having newly diagnosed dyslipidemia was associated with lower odds of tobacco use among females. Mean salivary cotinine levels were higher among tobacco users versus nonusers (235.4; CI: 187.0-283.8 vs. 29.7; CI: 4.2, 55.2, respectively). Conclusion: High prevalence of tobacco use in the South Asian region, particularly among men, highlights the urgency to address this serious public health problem. Our analyses suggest targeted prevention and cessation interventions focused on lower socioeconomic groups may be particularly important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unclear how geographic and social diversity affects the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We sought to characterize the prevalence of COPD and identify risk factors across four settings in Peru with varying degrees of urbanization, altitude, and biomass fuel use. Methods: We collected sociodemographics, clinical history, and post-bronchodilator spirometry in a randomly selected, age-, sex- and site-stratified, population-based sample of 2,957 adults aged ≥35 years (median age was 54.8 years and 49.3% were men) from four resource-poor settings: Lima, Tumbes, urban and rural Puno. We defined COPD as a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC < 70%. Results: Overall prevalence of COPD was 6.0% (95% CI 5.1%-6.8%) but with marked variation across sites: 3.6% in semi-urban Tumbes, 6.1% in urban Puno, 6.2% in Lima, and 9.9% in rural Puno (p < 0.001). Population attributable risks (PARs) of COPD due to smoking ≥10 pack-years were less than 10% for all sites, consistent with a low prevalence of daily smoking (3.3%). Rather, we found that PARs of COPD varied by setting. In Lima, for example, the highest PARs were attributed to post-treatment tuberculosis (16% and 22% for men and women, respectively). In rural Puno, daily biomass fuel for cooking among women was associated with COPD (prevalence ratio 2.22, 95% CI 1.02-4.81) and the PAR of COPD due to daily exposure to biomass fuel smoke was 55%. Conclusions: The burden of COPD in Peru was not uniform and, unlike other settings, was not predominantly explained by tobacco smoking. This study emphasizes the role of biomass fuel use, and highlights pulmonary tuberculosis as an often neglected risk factor in endemic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Waist circumference (WC) is used to indirectly measure abdominal adipose tissue and the associated risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Because of its easy implementation and low cost, self-measured WC is commonly used as a screening tool. However, discrepancies between self-measured and objectively measured WC may result in misclassification of individuals when using established cut-off values. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of self-measured WC in adults at risk of T2DM and/or CVD, and to determine the anthropometric, demographic and behavioural characteristics associated with bias in self-measured WC. Methods Self-measured and objectively measured WC was obtained from 622 participants (58.4% female; mean age 43.4 ± 5.3 years) in the Hoorn Prevention Study. The associations of gender, age, educational level, body mass index, smoking status, dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviour with the discrepancies between self-measured and objectively measured WC were analysed using independents t-test and one-way ANOVA. Bland-Altman plots were used to plot the agreement between the two measures. Results On average, self-measured WC was overestimated by 5.98 ± 4.82 cm (P < 0.001). Overestimation was consistent across all subgroups, but was more pronounced in those who were younger and those with lower educational attainment. Conclusions The results support self-measured WC as a useful tool for large-scale populations and epidemiological studies when objective measurement is not feasible, but overestimation should be taken into account when screening adults at risk of T2DM and/or CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to the prevention paradox, the majority of alcohol-related harms in the population occur among low-to-moderate risk drinkers, simply because they are more numerous in the population, although high-risk drinkers have a higher individual risk of experiencing alcohol-related harms. In this study we explored the prevention paradox in the Irish population by comparing alcohol-dependent drinkers (high-risk) to low-risk drinkers and non-dependent drinkers who engage in heavy episodic drinking (HED).Methods: Data were generated from the 2013 National Alcohol Diary Survey (NADS), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of Irish adults aged 18-75. Data were available for 4338 drinkers. Respondents dependent on alcohol (as measured by DSM-IV criteria), respondents who engaged in monthly HED or occasional HED (1-11 times a year) and low-risk drinkers were compared for distribution of eight alcohol-related harms.Results: Respondents who were dependent on alcohol had a greater individual risk of experiencing each harm (p < .0001). The majority of the harms in the population were accounted for by drinkers who were not dependent on alcohol. Together, monthly and occasional HED drinkers accounted for 62% of all drinkers, consumed 70% of alcohol and accounted for 59% of alcohol-related harms.Conclusions: Our results indicate that the majority of alcohol consumption and related harms in the Irish population are accounted for by low- and moderate-risk drinkers, and specifically by those who engage in heavy episodic drinking. A population-based approach to reducing alcohol-related harm is most appropriate in the Irish context. Immediate implementation of the measures in the Public Health (Alcohol) Act (2018) is necessary to reduce alcohol-related harm in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Foot pain has been shown to be prevalent across all age groups. The presence of foot pain may reduce mobility and impact on the ability to undertake activities of daily living. The aim of this study was to determine factors that are predictive of foot pain in a community based sample of the general population., Methods: This study analysed data from the North West Adelaide Health Study, a cohort study located in the northwestern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Data were obtained between 2004-2006 and 2008-2010, using a self-completed questionnaire, computer assisted telephone interviewing, and a clinical assessment. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of variables were determined and generalised linear models ascertained the variables associated with the highest relative risk of self-reporting foot pain in 2008-2010 based on the data obtained in 2004-2006., Results: The prevalence of foot pain in 2004-2006 was 14.9 % (95 % CI 13.6-16.4) and in 2008-2010, 29.9 % (95 % CI 27.5-32.5). Variables with the highest sensitivity were: female sex, ever having back pain, self-reported arthritis, body mass index (BMI) classified as obese and having foot pain in 2004-2006, while most variables demonstrated high specificity. Those with the highest risk of reporting foot pain in 2008-2010 were those with depressive symptoms, self-reported arthritis, high BMI, self-reported upper limb pain and foot pain (in general or in specific regions of the foot) in 2004-2006., Conclusion: Foot pain is common in the general population and those with the greatest risk of foot pain potentially represent a high level of chronicity and potential burden on the health system. Addressing the factors that predict foot pain, as well as the provision of targeted messages to highlight the importance of managing foot pain, may help reduce the impact on the population.