Educational achievement and pain disability among women with chronic pelvic pain.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the relationship of level of educational (LOE) achievement to pain experience, affective disturbance, and perceived disability among women with chronic pelvic pain presenting for pain treatment.


METHODS
187 patients completed a battery of self-report inventories assessing pain, psychological status, and functional ability. Educational attainment was stratified across five levels from "less than high school" to "graduate/professional school."


RESULTS
Significant inverse associations were found between lower educational achievement and more severe pain, somatic preoccupation, emotional suffering and guardedness, and functional impairment. No differences were obtained across the groups for age, duration of pain, or symptoms of depression.


CONCLUSIONS
These data provide support for the importance of socioeconomic factors, particularly LOE, in furthering our understanding of the morbidity observed among women suffering chronic pelvic pain.
Roth
R S
RS
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. randyr@umich.edu
Punch
M R
MR
Bachman
J E
JE
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors