Background
Methods
Design and participants
Study participants, selection criteria, selection methods and selection procedures
Questionnaires
Chronic pain and persistent bodily pain
Chronic pain stages
Demographic questionnaire and body mass index
Disease load
Health care utilization
Statistical analysis
Ethics
Results
Sample characteristics
Variable | N (%) |
---|---|
Gender
| |
Female | 1334 (53.2) |
Age [years]
| |
Mean (SD) | 49.7 (17.3) |
Family status
| |
Married/living together | 1315 (52.4) |
Education
| |
No school finished | 67 (2.7) |
In school | 78 (3.1) |
Primary or secondary school | 1898 (75.7) |
High school or higher | 455 (18.1) |
Missing | 10 (0.4) |
Current professional status
| |
Working fulltime | 996 (39.7) |
Working partial time | 310 (12.4) |
Without job | 142 (5.7) |
Pensioner | 745 (29.7) |
Homemaker | 42 (1.7) |
Schooling or university education | 150 (6.0) |
Other (e.g. maternity leave) | 19 (0.8) |
Missing | 104 (4.1) |
Family net income per month (€)
| |
< 750 | 114 ( 4.5) |
750 -1250 | 403 (16.1) |
1251-2500 | 735 (29.3) |
> 2500 | 1180 (47.0) |
Missing | 76 (3.0) |
Missing values
Criteria | N | % (95% CI) | Missing data | Valid cases |
---|---|---|---|---|
Constant or frequently recurrent pain since > 3 months | 710 | 28.3 (26.6- 30.2) | 6 | 2502 |
Non-malignant pain | 673 | 26.9 (25.2-28.6) | ||
Malignant pain | 37 | 1.4 (1.35-1.45) | ||
SF-8 bodily pain intensity last 4 weeks (malignant pain excluded) | 7 | 2464 | ||
None | 1802 | 73.1 (71.3-74.9) | ||
Very slight | 27 | 1.0 (0.9-1.1) | ||
Slight | 106 | 4.2 (3.4-5.0) | ||
Moderate | 371 | 15.0 (13.6-16.4) | ||
Strong | 141 | 5.7 (4.6-6.6) | ||
Very strong | 17 | 0.1 (0.08-0.12) | ||
SF-8 bodily pain very slight to very severe intensity last 4 weeks (malignant pain excluded) duration | 6 | 663 | ||
3-6 months | 88 | 13.2 (10.2-15.8) | ||
7-12 months | 64 | 9.7 (7.5-11.9) | ||
1-3 years | 181 | 27.3 (23.9-30.7) | ||
3-5 years | 145 | 21.9 (18.8-25.0) | ||
5-10 years | 101 | 15.2 (12.5-17.9) | ||
> 10 years | 84 | 12.7 (10.2-14.2) | ||
Chronic pain stages (referred to total sample) | 2 | 2452 | ||
I | 271 | 11.1 (9.8-12.2) | ||
II | 207 | 8.4 (7.3-9.5) | ||
III | 122 | 5.0 (4.1-5.8) | ||
IV | 60 | 2.4 (1.9-2.9) | ||
Chronic pain stages (referred to persons with chronic non-malignant pain) | 2 | 660 | ||
I | 271 | 41.1 (37.4-44.8) | ||
II | 207 | 31.4 (27.9-34.9) | ||
III | 122 | 18.5 (15.5-21.5) | ||
IV | 60 | 9.0 (7.9-11.2) |
Prevalence of chronic pain and of chronic pain stages
Pain stages | Variable | Mean (Minimum- maximum) | Unadjusted rate ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted rate ratio (95% CI) |
---|---|---|---|---|
No pain | Days of sick leave/disability | 3.9 (0–365) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Non-disabling pain | 6.4 (0–336) | 1.6 (1.5-1.7) | 1.8 (1.7-1.9) | |
Disabling pain | 24.8 (0–365) | 6.4 (6.1-6.6) | 6.8 (6.5-7.1) | |
No pain | Doctor visits | 3.4 (0–50) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Non-disabling pain | 8.4 (0–60) | 2.5 (2.4-2.8) | 1.7 (1.6-1.8) | |
Disabling pain | 15.1 (0–70) | 4.5 (4.3-4.7) | 2.6 (2.4-2.7) | |
No pain | Nights in hospital | 0.6 (0–80) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Non-disabling pain | 1.7 (0–72) | 2.7 (2.4-2.9) | 1.5 (1.3-1.6) | |
Disabling pain | 7.4 (0–110) | 11.7 (10.8-12.7) | 5.0 (4.5-5.5) |
Societal burden of chronic pain stages
Working full-or >15 h/week (Referent) | Unemployed | Crude OR (95% CI) p-value | Adjusted OR* (95% CI) p-value | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gender N (%) | ||||
Female | 608 (48.3) | 64 (45.1) | Referent | 0.89 (0.62-1.29) 0.54 |
Male | 651 (51.7) | 78 (54.9) | 1.14 (0.80-1.61) 0.47 | Referent |
Age (years) Mean (SD) | 43.44 (11.60) | 43.44 (12.35) | 1.00 (0.99-1.02) 0.99 | 0.98 (0.97-1.00) 0.94 |
Education N (%) | ||||
High school or higher | 282 (22.5) | 11 (7.7) | Referent | Referent |
Primary or secondary school | 974 (77.5) | 161 (92.3) |
3.45 (1.84-6.47) <0.0001
|
3.27 (1.70-6.29) <0.0001
|
Pain grade N (%) | ||||
No pain | 1024 (82.2) | 94 (68.6) | Referent | Referent |
Non disabling pain | 179 (14.4) | 21 (15.3) | 1.28 (0.78-2.11) 0.34 | 0.87 (0.5-1.5) 0.60 |
Disabling pain | 43 (3.5) | 22 (16.1) |
5.57 (3.20-9.71) <0.0001
|
3.30 (1.76-6.21) <0.0001
|
Disease load (Number of diseases with drug treatment) Mean (SD) | 0.37 (0.77) | 1.06 (1.44) |
1.80 (1.54-2.09) <0.0001
|
1.70 (1.41-2.05) <0.0001
|