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Cited by 261Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationPediatric Pain Management TechniquesPain Management and Opioid Use

Ethnic similarities and differences in the chronic pain experience: a comparison of African American, Hispanic, and white patients

Edwards, Robert R., Moric, Mario, Husfeldt, Brenda, Buvanendran, Asokumar, Ivankovich, Olga·2005·Pain Medicine
DOI 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2005.05007.x
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Ethnic differences in the perception, experience, and impact of pain have received growing attention in recent years. Although studies comparing pain among African Americans, Hispanics, and whites have yielded mixed findings, increasing evidence suggests an enhancement of the pain experience for African American and Hispanic patients. Mechanisms proposed to account for this effect include systematic differences in psychological distress and in pain-coping strategies, or differential relationships between these factors and pain. However, few studies have evaluated all of these variables, or matched ethnic groups precisely on potential confounds. DESIGN: The present study compares African American, Hispanic, and white chronic pain patients across multiple dimensions of pain, emotional distress, pain-related disability, and pain coping after matching patients on a variety of potentially confounding variables. RESULTS: Results indicated no significant ethnic differences on measures of pain, depression, psychopathology, or pain-related disability. While most coping variables did not differ by ethnicity, substantive group differences were evident on the praying and hoping subscale of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, with African Americans and Hispanics reporting higher scores relative to whites on items relating to prayer. Inter-relationships among pain, coping, and distress were generally quite similar across ethnic groups, although active coping showed some variation in its relationship with pain-related outcomes. Catastrophizing was generally associated with greater pain and distress, and use of prayer/hope as a coping strategy was associated with greater disability across ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ethnic differences in pain, pain-related sequelae, and affective factors may be small when ethnic groups are closely matched on confounding variables. Moreover, interventions designed to facilitate adaptive coping are likely to be effective across ethnic groups.

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  • Social support is associated with better physical functioning in people with pain conditions.

    “social support is found to be associated with improved physical functioning for individuals with pain conditions 33, 87–89.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [89]

  • Lack of workplace social support, dissatisfaction with co-workers, and interactions with the disability compensation system are among the strongest predictors of pain-related work disability.

    “Lack of social support at work, dissatisfaction with co-workers, and interactions with the disability compensation system are among the most potent predictors of pain-related work disability 89, 131, 132.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [89]

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1 of the 70 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Moore R, Brodsgaard I. Cross-cultural investiga- tions of pain. In: Croft PR, Linton SJ, LeResche L, Von Korff M, editors. Epidemiology of pain. Seat- tle, WA: IASP Press; 1999:53-80.
  2. Anderson KO, Mendoza TR, Valero V, et al. Minority cancer patients and their providers: Pain management attitudes and practice. Cancer 2000;88:1929-38.

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Authors
Edwards, R. R., Moric, M., Husfeldt, B., Buvanendran, A., & Ivankovich, O.
Affiliations
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • Rush University Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Edwards, Robert R.
ORCID
Venue
Pain Medicine
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2005-01
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
88-98
ISSN
  • 1526-2375 (ISSN-L)
  • 1526-4637
DOI
10.1111/j.1526-4637.2005.05007.x
OpenAlex
W2034918451
Cited by
261
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 17
FWCI
6.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Pain Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric Pain Management Techniques
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
Keywords
chronic pain, ethnic differences, African Americans, Hispanic patients, Caucasian patients, pain-related disability, pain coping, catastrophizing, depression, psychopathology, Coping Strategies Questionnaire
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Black or African American, Chronic Disease, Depression, Disability Evaluation, Female, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pain, Pain Measurement, White People

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