J Korean Med Sci.  2012 Jan;27(1):16-21. 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.1.16.

Prevalence of Widespread Pain and Its Influence on Quality of Life: Population Study in Korea

• Cho NH
• Kim I
• Lim SH
• Kim HA

• KMID: 1792973
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2012.27.1.16

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and risk factors for widespread pain and its influence on quality of life in residents of Korean communities. A rural and an urban community were selected, and 5,037 subjects were surveyed. Participants were asked if they had pain, aching, or stiffness in any of their joints on most days. Widespread pain was defined as pain above the waist, below the waist, on both sides of the body and in the axial region. The prevalence of widespread pain was 12% (16.2% and 5.5% in females and males, respectively). It was more frequent among females and increased with age in both genders. Age, female gender, and the presence of hand or knee arthritis were significantly associated with widespread pain after multivariate analysis. Except for mental health, all the items in the SF-12 were adversely affected in the widespread pain group after adjustment for confounding factors. Our findings show that the prevalence of widespread pain among residents of Korean communities is comparable to that reported among Caucasians. The significantly worse quality of life among subjects with widespread pain suggests that it may cause major health issues in the aging population.

Keyword

Widespread Pain; Risk Factors; Arthritis; Quality of Life

MeSH Terms

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Demography
Female
Health Status
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Pain/*epidemiology/psychology
Prevalence
*Quality of Life
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Risk Factors
Rural Population
Sex Factors
Urban Population

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain according to the number of painful regions in women and men.

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  Fig. 2 Prevalence of widespread pain in women and men according to age.

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