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Cited by 120Racial and Ethnic Identity ResearchMusculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationHealth disparities and outcomes

The association of perceived discrimination with low back pain

Edwards, Robert R.·2008·Journal of Behavioral Medicine
DOI 10.1007/s10865-008-9160-9
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Abstract

A handful of recent studies have documented perceived discrimination as a correlate of poor physical and mental health status among ethnic and racial minority groups. To date, however, despite a proliferation of research on ethnic disparities in the severity and impact of a number of persistent pain conditions, there have been no reports on associations between perceived discrimination and pain-related symptoms. Using data from a national survey (the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States; MIDUS), we explore the relationships between perceived discriminatory events and the report of back pain among African-American and white men and women. As expected, African-American participants reported substantially greater perceptions of discrimination than white participants. Moreover, in models that included a variety of physical and mental health variables, episodes of major lifetime discriminatory events were the strongest predictors of back pain report in African-Americans, and perceived day-to-day discrimination was the strongest predictor of back pain report specifically in African-American women. Among white participants, perceptions of discrimination were minimally related or unrelated to back pain. To our knowledge, these are the first data documenting an association between perceived discrimination and report of back pain; the fact that perceptions of discrimination were stronger predictors than physical health variables highlights the potential salience and adverse impact of perceived discrimination in ethnic and racial minority groups.

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  • Considerable evidence indicates that greater solicitousness in response to pain behaviors predicts more pain-related disability.

    “there is considerable evidence that a higher degree of solicitousness in response to pain behaviors predicts increased pain-related disability 85, 106–108.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [85]

  • Several studies found that patients with positive general social support but without solicitous responses to pain were less likely to develop persistent phantom limb pain after amputation and reported lower physical dysfunction.

    “Several studies found that patients reporting positive general social support but lacking solicitous responses to pain were less likely to develop persistent phantom limb pain post-amputation and report lower levels of physical dysfunction 85, 107, 109.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [85]

  • Most studies to date have focused on either perceived global social support or solicitous social responses to pain behaviors.

    “To date, most studies have focused on either perceived global social support (i.e., not pain-related) or solicitous social responses to pain behaviors (e.g., offering to take over tasks or encouragement to become less active) 85.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [85]

  • A review of more than a dozen studies found that greater perceived social support was associated with less pain and better overall functioning among people with pain and physical disability related to spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and acquired amputation.

    “In a review of more than a dozen studies, the authors found that increased perceived social support was associated with better outcomes such as less pain and improved overall functioning among persons with pain and physical disability related to spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and acquired amputation 85.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [85]

  • Individual differences in how people apply pain-coping strategies have an important influence on pain-related outcomes.

    “individual differences in the application of paincoping strategies have an important influence on pain-related outcomes.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [85]

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Authors
Edwards, R. R.
Affiliations
Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
Edwards, Robert R.
ORCID
Edwards, Robert R.
Venue
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2008-06-25
Volume
31
Issue
5
Pages
379-389
ISSN
  • 0160-7715 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-3521
DOI
10.1007/s10865-008-9160-9
OpenAlex
W2111371756
Cited by
120
References
82
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 3
FWCI
5.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Behavioral Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Keywords
perceived discrimination, low back pain, racial disparities, ethnic minorities, African Americans, chronic pain, middle-aged adults, mental health, physical health
MeSH terms
Adult, Asian, Black or African American, Educational Status, Ethnicity, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Health Status, Health Surveys, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Individuality, Male, Middle Aged, Minority Groups, Prejudice, Sex Factors, Social Perception, United States, Prevalence, Low Back Pain, White People

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