About 20 Percent of U.S. Adults Experienced Chronic Pain in 2021

THURSDAY, April 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- An estimated 20.9 percent of U.S. adults experienced chronic pain during 2021, according to research published in the April 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

S. Michaela Rikard, Ph.D., from the U.S. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues examined data from the 2019 to 2021 National Health Interview Survey to provide updated estimates of the prevalence of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain among adults in the United States and within population subgroups.

The researchers found that an estimated 20.9 percent of U.S. adults experienced chronic pain during 2021, and 6.9 percent experienced high-impact chronic pain (51.6 and 17.1 million persons, respectively). Populations experiencing a higher prevalence of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain include non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults, adults identifying as bisexual, and adults who are divorced or separated.

"This study provides updated estimates of the prevalence of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain and highlights disparities in the prevalence of pain among certain populations," the authors write. "These findings can guide policymakers, clinicians, and researchers in future research examining the underlying reasons for disparities and in the development of tailored interventions and strategies addressing chronic pain in the United States."

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