A Population in Pain: Report from the Olmsted County Health Study

  1. Emmeline A. Watkins D. Phil1,
  2. Peter C. Wollan PhD2,
  3. L. Joseph Melton III MD3,
  4. Barbara P. Yawn MD, MSc2,*

Article first published online: 7 FEB 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2007.00280.x

Issue

Pain Medicine

Pain Medicine

Volume 9, Issue 2, pages 166–174, March 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Watkins, E. A., Wollan, P. C., Melton, L. J. and Yawn, B. P. (2008), A Population in Pain: Report from the Olmsted County Health Study. Pain Medicine, 9: 166–174. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2007.00280.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    AstraZeneca, Department of Epidemiology, Wilmington, Delaware;

  2. 2

    Olmsted Medical Center, Department of Research, Rochester, Minnesota;

  3. 3

    Mayo Clinic, Department of Health Sciences Research, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

*Barbara Yawn, MD, MSPH, MSc, Director of Research, Department of Research & Education, Olmsted Medical Center, 210 Ninth Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904, USA. Tel: 507-287-2758; Fax: 507-287-2722; E-mail: yawnx002@umn.edu.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 JUL 2007
  2. Article first published online: 7 FEB 2007

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Keywords:

  • Chronic Pain;
  • Treatment;
  • Impact;
  • Population-Based;
  • Adults;
  • Prevalence;
  • Frequency

ABSTRACT

Background.  Pain is poorly understood on a population level. This study provides updated estimates of the prevalence, location, severity, and impact of pain in a U.S. community and discusses current definitions of “chronic” pain.

Outcome Measures.  We mailed four-page surveys to a random sample of 5,897 adult residents of Olmsted County, MN. The survey asked about participant pain (location, duration, severity, and impact), as well as satisfaction with pain-related health care.

Results.  Of the 3,575 responders (61%), 64.4% reported having chronic pain (>3 months’ duration); 6.9% reported subacute pain (1–3 months); and 9.9% reported acute pain (<1 month). Body regions with the highest prevalence of pain were the head (31.9%), lower back (37.7%), and joints (59.5%). Chronic pain sufferers had more days per months with pain, more moderate or severe pain, and greater levels of interference with general activities and sleep than the people with acute and subacute pain. Almost two-thirds of those with chronic pain (63%) reported multiple pain locations. Several chronic pain sufferers gave fair or poor ratings for the quality of care (13.3% of those rating) or the effectiveness of treatment (28.1%) for pain.

Conclusions.  The prevalence of chronic pain is high, often in more than one location, and over 21% of chronic pain sufferers report dissatisfaction with current care.

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