Gender differences in chronic pain—findings from a population-based study of Norwegian adults
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate for gender differences in the experience of chronic pain and the impact of chronic pain on quality of life (QOL). A total of 1,912 out of 4,000 Norwegian citizens returned a mailed questionnaire, and 24.4% reported chronic pain. More women than men reported chronic pain, and women reported significantly higher pain intensity scores than men did. Although the duration of chronic pain was similar in women and men, women more often received treatment for their chronic pain. Men in chronic pain reported a poorer QOL than women did. Although specific variables that predicted present pain intensity in women and men differed, the variables that explained the largest percentage of the variance in pain for both genders were the disease and the pain location variables. These findings support previously published studies that document gender differences in chronic pain and extend the work to the impact of chronic pain on QOL.
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Men report lower physical and psychological quality of life than women.
“Men, on the other hand, report lower physical and psychological quality of life [30]”
From Chronic pain and sex-differences; women accept and move, while men feel blue (2017) · cites this paper as [30]
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- Authors
- Rustøen, T., Wahl, A. K., Hanestad, B. R., Lerdal, A., Paul, S., & Miaskowski, C.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- University of Bergen (NO)
- Buskerud University College (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Rustøen, Tone
- Venue
- Pain Management Nursing
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-09
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 105-117
- ISSN
- 1524-9042 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2042148012
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 61
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 3.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Pain Management Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Sex and Gender in Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Keywords
- chronic pain, gender differences, quality of life, pain intensity, women, pain management, pain localization, disease factors, predictors of pain
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Analysis of Variance, Chronic Disease, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Norway, Pain, Quality of Life, Regression Analysis, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Comorbidity, Prevalence, Sex Distribution, Pain Management
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