title: Gaps in the Public's Knowledge About Chronic Pain: Representative Sample of Hispanic Residents From 5 States.
abstract: Educating the general public about chronic pain and its care is a national health priority. We evaluated knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) of a 5-state, population-based sample of Hispanic individuals aged 35 to 75 years without chronic pain, representing more than 8.8 million persons. A Web-based survey assessed KAB using an adapted version of the Survey of Pain Attitudes-Brief and self-reported knowledge about chronic pain (nothing, a little, a lot). In unweighted analyses of participants (N = 349), the mean age was 52.0 (±10.6) years, 54% were women, 53% preferred Spanish, and 39% did not graduate from high school. More participants reported knowing nothing about chronic pain (24%) than a lot (12%). In weighted logistic models with knowing nothing as the reference, knowing a lot was associated with greater KAB for chronic pain-related emotions, functioning, and cure (all P < .01) but poorer KAB about pain medications (P < .001). Associations were similar for those knowing a little. Men and women preferring Spanish had poorer KAB about pain medications than men preferring English (both P < .001). In view of Hispanic individuals' disparities in chronic pain care, these data underscore the need for effective public educational campaigns about chronic pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this 5-state representative sample of Hispanic individuals without chronic pain, one-quarter reported knowing nothing about chronic pain and had poorer KAB about multiple aspects of this disease. This study reinforces the need to evaluate and address gaps in the general public's knowledge about chronic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH), University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. Electronic address: turner@uthscsa.edu.
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH), University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH), University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH), University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, University of Texas School of Public Health in San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.affiliation: Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH), University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rochat
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.affiliation: Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH), University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; South Central Area Health Education Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Winkler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D012044:Regression Analysis; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
keywords: Chronic pain; Hispanic; knowledge attitudes beliefs; representative sample