['To assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among the major ethnic minority populations of Greater Manchester.', 'The study group was a community sample of 2117 adults from the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and African Caribbean communities. Questionnaires administered by post and by an interviewer were used to assess the presence of any musculoskeletal pain, pain in specific joints, and the level of physical function. Ethnicity was self assigned. The results were compared with those from a recent study in the local white population using the same methodology.', 'Overall response rate was 75% among the south Asian (Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi community and 47% among the African Caribbean community. The profile of musculoskeletal pain among the ethnic minority groups differed from that in the white population. Although musculoskeletal symptoms were slightly more prevalent among people from ethnic minority groups than among the white population, pain in multiple sites was considerably more common among ethnic minorities.'] Is musculoskeletal pain more generalised among people from ethnic minorities than among white people in Greater Manchester?