Open AccessAssociations of Socioeconomic Position and Pain Prevalence in the U nited S tates: Findings from the N ational H ealth and N utrition E xamination S urvey
Author(s) -
Riskowski Jody L.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1111/pme.12528
Subject(s) - medicine , national health and nutrition examination survey , ethnic group , socioeconomic status , epidemiology , confidence interval , demography , population , poverty , chronic pain , national health interview survey , household income , gerontology , physical therapy , environmental health , geography , archaeology , sociology , anthropology , economics , economic growth
Background Pain is a significant burden within the U . S . adult population, but little is known regarding epidemiology of pain, particularly with respect to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic position ( SEP ). Objective The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate prevalence and distribution of pain in the U nited S tates. Methods With data from the population‐based 2003–2004 N ational H ealth and N utrition E xamination S urvey, prevalence of acute (<3 months) and chronic (≥3 months) pain was evaluated, including subgroup analyses of race, ethnicity, and SEP , with SEP defined by the poverty‐to‐income ratio, a ratio derived from the federal poverty level, accounting for household income and number of household members. Results Prevalence of acute pain was 12.2% (95% confidence interval: 11.2–13.3%). Non‐ H ispanic black as well as H ispanic and M exican‐ A merican individuals had higher rates of acute pain than non‐ H ispanic white people, and a higher prevalence was noted in those with higher SEP . Chronic pain prevalence was 15.6% (13.4–17.7%), with non‐ H ispanic white people having a higher prevalence than those in other racial and ethnic groups. Conclusion Trends of chronic pain by SEP were opposite of acute pain as those in the highest SEP group tended to have less chronic pain than those in lower SEP groups. These findings suggest that SEP , in addition to race and ethnicity, may play a role in the development of pain as well as its treatment and management.