title: Socioeconomic conditions and number of pain sites in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women in deprived socioeconomic situations run a high pain risk. Although number of pain sites (NPS) is considered highly relevant in pain assessment, little is known regarding the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and NPS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 653 women; 160 recurrence-free long-term gynecological cancer survivors, and 493 women selected at random from the general population. Demographic characteristics and co-morbidity over the past 12 months were assessed. Socioeconomic conditions were measured by Socioeconomic Condition Index (SCI), comprising education, employment status, income, ability to pay bills, self-perceived health, and satisfaction with number of close friends. Main outcome measure NPS was recorded using a body outline diagram indicating where the respondents had experienced pain during the past week. Chi-square test and forward stepwise logistic regression were applied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were only minor differences in SCI scores between women with 0, 1-2 or 3 NPS. Four or more NPS was associated with younger age, higher BMI and low SCI. After adjustment for age, BMI and co-morbidity, we found a strong association between low SCI scores and four or more NPS, indicating that there is a threshold in the NPS count for when socioeconomic determinants are associated to NPS in women.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Health Promotion and Resources HiST/NTNU, Sør-Trøndelag, University College, Faculty of Nursing, N-7004 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Toril
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rannestad
authors.forename: Finn Egil
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Skjeldestad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012923:Social Class; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*