Lifetime socioeconomic circumstances and chronic pain in later adulthood: findings from a British birth cohort study.

Abstract

To investigate associations between a range of different indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP: occupational class, education, household overcrowding and tenure, and experience of financial hardship) across life and chronic widespread and regional pain (CWP and CRP) at age 68. Prospective birth cohort; the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development. England, Scotland and Wales. Up to 2378 men and women who have been followed-up since birth in 1946 to age 68. On the basis of their self-report of pain at age 68, participants were classified as: CWP (American College of Rheumatology criteria), CRP (pain of at least 3 months' duration but that does not meet the definition of CWP), other pain (<3 months in duration) or no pain. At age 68, the prevalence of CWP was 13.3% and 7.8% in women and men, respectively, and that of CRP was 32.3% and 28.7% in women and men, respectively. There was no clear evidence that indicators of SEP in childhood or later adulthood were associated with pain. Having experienced (vs not) financial hardship and being a tenant (vs owner-occupier) in earlier adulthood were both associated with an increased risk of CWP; for example, moderate hardship adjusted relative risk ratio (RRR_adj) 2.32 (95% CI: 1.19 to 4.52) and most hardship RRR_adj 4.44 (95% CI: 2.02 to 9.77). Accumulation of financial hardship across earlier and later adulthood was also associated with an increased risk of CWP. Consideration of socioeconomic factors in earlier adulthood may be important when identifying targets for intervention to prevent CWP in later life.