Gender differences in chronic pain related health care utilization

Aims To investigate predictors for health-care utilization for chronic pain and whether there are gender differences in variables predicting chronic pain-related health care utilization. Methods A postal questionnaire measuring socio-demographic variables, pain characteristics, health related quality of life (HRQoL) and pain related health care utilization, was sent to a sample of 4500 individuals randomly drawn from the national population of Iceland. The relationships between socio-demographic and pain related variables and pain related health care utilization among participants reporting chronic pain (≥3 months) were tested by using bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Results The prevalence of chronic pain among respondents was 47.5%. Among participants reporting chronic pain, 53.2% had consulted a health care provider for pain during the previous six months.Predictors for pain related health care utilization were pain interference with daily life and pain pattern (daily pain) as well as physical components of HRQoL. Even though health care utilization was not related to gender, there were gender differences in pain-related predictors for health care utilization. Interference with daily life and pain pattern were the strongest predictors among women, but interference with life and the physical components of HRQoL were the strongest predictors for men. Pain related health care utilization was not related to socio-demographic variables. Conclusions Pain related variables are better predictors of chronic pain related health care utilization than socio-demographics. Even though gender does not predict chronic pain-related health care utilization, there are gender differences in the relationships between pain-related variables and health care utilization. These gender differences warrant further exploration.