Race, age, and gender influences among clusters of African American and white patients with chronic pain.
Racial and ethnic minorities, older people, and women are differentially affected by chronic pain. This study aimed to identify the experiences of adult African Americans and whites with chronic pain while identifying patient clusters on the basis of clinical characteristics as well as race, age, and gender influences within and between clusters. Three clusters of patients with chronic pain were identified within race, age, and gender categories: chronic pain syndrome, good pain control, and disability with mild syndrome. African American and younger patients experiencing chronic pain were more likely to present with chronic pain syndrome. African American patients presenting with chronic pain syndrome or disability with mild pain syndrome reported a higher disability than their counterparts. Older patients and women within the good pain control cluster reported a lower level of (1) pain and depression and (2) depression, respectively. Older patients presenting with a disability with mild syndrome also reported lower pain and depression. Despite similar physical, emotional, and pain characteristics, this study confirmed that the chronic pain experience differs across racial and age groups. Further study is necessary to evaluate how these factors influence pain services among an ethnically diverse population across the age continuum.


CONCLUSIONS
This study found important racial and age-related variability in the symptom severity of patients with chronic pain presenting with similar physical, emotional, and pain characteristics to a tertiary care pain center. These findings have important clinical implications on chronic pain assessment and management.
Green
Carmen R
CR
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, Ann Arbor 48109, USA. carmeng@umich.edu
Ndao-Brumblay
S Khady
SK
Nagrant
Andrew M
AM
Baker
Tamara A
TA
Rothman
Edward
E
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People