title: Racial/Ethnic and gender prevalences in reported common pains in a national sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare prevalences of self-reported temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJMD)-type pain, headaches, and neck and back pains in the 2000 to 2005 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) by gender and age for non-Hispanic Whites (Whites), Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the 2000 to 2005 NHIS included information on gender, age, race, ethnicity, and different common types of pain specifically: TMJMD-type pain, severe headaches/migraine, neck, and low back pains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 189,992 people were included: 52% female and 48% male, 73% White, 12% Hispanic, 11% Black, and 4% "Other." The overall prevalence of TMJMD-type pain was 4.6%; severe headaches/migraine was 15.4%; neck, 14.9%; and low back, 28.0%. Survey logistic regression models estimating race-specific, age-adjusted curves revealed race by age pain differences. For TMJMD-type pain, White females presented the highest prevalence at younger ages, decreasing after age 40. Prevalences for Hispanic and Black females, although lower at younger ages, increased up to age 60 and remained higher than Whites. Males showed less racial/ethnic and age variation. Severe headaches/migraines presented an age pattern similar to TMJMD-type pain for White females and little overall variation for males, but without racial differences. Neck pain showed some similarities to TMJMD-type pain: higher in Whites at younger ages, lower at older ages, with Hispanics having the highest rates after their 60's. For low back pain, the rates peaked around the sixth decade for all racial/ethnic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patterns of TMJMD-type pain varied greatly within and across racial/ethnic groups by gender and across the adult lifespan. Similarities and differences for the other pains were noted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University Of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0758, USA. octavia.plesh@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Octavia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Plesh
authors.forename: Sally H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Stuart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gansky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D010146:Pain / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult